Top National, State and Local Officials Form Emergency Management Disability Symposium

Emergency management experts, disability advocates and public officials will be gathering to discuss how to better protect those with disabilities during major disaster events in Paramus on Friday.

"We put together a symposium working with the County Executive's Office and the Office of Disability Services to look at this extremely important issue of how to integrate disability considerations into emergency planning and emergency response," said Ridgewood Councilman Paul Aronsohn, who is also the chair of accessibility advocacy group Community Access Network (CAN).

Moderated by Jim Thebery, Bergen County Division of Special Services Director, the nation's highest authority on the subject, Marcie Roth, FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, will be a featured speaker.

The position, Aronsohn said, was created by President Obama after Hurricane Katrina's devastating force hit the southeast. "After Hurricane Katrina people realized folks with special needs were not accounted for in the planning," Aronsohn said. As the foremost authority, Aronsohn said Ross will be able to elaborate on some of the measures that have worked and what could be implemented on county and local levels.

"We could take this conversation forward in implementing better planning and response on a community level," Aronsohn said.

Bergen County OEM Director Lt. Dwane Razzetti will also be among the panelists, as will James Flemming, a disability specialist with FEMA; and Mary Goepfert, a planner with NJ OEM. State Senator Loretta Weinberg's chief of staff will also attend. 

The meeting will be held Friday, Dec. 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Moses Room of the Technical Building at Bergen Community College. The event is free and open to the public.

Here is an incomplete list of expected attendees.

• Kathleen Donovan, County Executive
• Tony Barzelatto, OEM / Councilman, Tenafly
• Noel Heffernan, Retired FDNY 
• Amy Wilczynski, Councilwoman, Allendale
• David Jordan, Chairperson Fair Lawn ADA Committee 
• Bill Schaffer, NJ Department of Human Services
• Jim Van Goor, Chief, Ridgewood Fire Department
• Chris DuFlocuq, Captain, Ridgewood Fire Department
• Catherine Best, Congressman Steve Rothman's Office
• Barry Winston, Fair Lawn CERT and Planning Board
• Rich Goddin, Field Manager, Housing Authority of Bergen County (+8 members of the Housing Authority)
• George Scherb, Chief, Allendale Police Department
• John Mattiace, Detective, Allendale Police Department
• John Klein, Deputy Director, Fort Lee OEM
• John Biale, member, Bergen County Housing Development Corporation
• Jack Lorenz, Principal, Ridgewood High School
• Officer Brian Pullman, Director of Emergency Services, Ridgewood
• Keith Volz, Police Officer, Dumont
• Steven Brown, Police Officer, Dumont
• John Hund, NJ State Firefighter's Mutual Benevolent Association 
• Debbie Francica, Chief of Staff, State Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner
• Samantha Moore, Coordinator, County of Hudson, Office of Disability Services
• Debi Glennon, Ridgewood CAN
• Joanne and Diana Stolfo, Ridgewood CAN
• Elizabeth Holley, Ridgewood CAN
• Commander Robert Paoli, American Legion, Ridgewood
• Ines Bunza, President, Special Services Home and School Association
• Lottie Estaban, Board Member, HIP
• Linda Walder Fiddle, Executive Director, The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation (autism), Ridgewood 
• Vicky Marsch, Safety Officer, West Bergen Mental Healthcare
• Wendy Greenspan, Education and Training Coordinator, Adler Aphasia Center
• Neil Haymes, Ridgewood, Adler Aphasia Center
• Christine Byrnes, Adler Aphasia Center
• Arlene Romoff, President, Hearing Loss Association of New Jersey
• Linda Seidman, Academic Counselor, Office of Specialized Services, Bergen Community College