Millstone eager to ramp up emergency preparedness
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

MILLSTONE - The mayor is getting township residents ready for action.

In an effort to improve emergency preparedness and response, the township is not only partnering with county agencies but is also aiming to coordinate its emergency response activities and trying to improve communication among residents, township workers and community volunteers.

"The goal is to make the community safer, stronger and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime and disasters of all kinds," Mayor Nancy Grbelja said.

The Township Committee is assessing and determining what risks the community may face and how to best use the talents and time of its citizens to prevent, prepare for and respond to those risks, according to Grbelja.

Already equipped with service groups such as the fire department, first aid squad, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), an emergency medical team and a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the township is now adding to its emergency response group.

The mayor has established what is called the Millstone Township Cabinet, which is a group of key individuals and organizations that it hopes will help facilitate coordination of its first responder units.

The cabinet will also try to get funding from federal, state and county governments for local agencies and coordinate efforts with Monmouth County officials so that Millstone can best serve as a county depot, where medical and other supplies will be stored in the event of a large-scale emergency.

The cabinet will further aim to collaborate with programs and organizations that offer community resources for public education and outreach, training and volunteer service to support homeland security.

The cabinet will be composed of the OEM coordinator, the CERT, the fire department, first aid squad, emergency medical personnel, New Jersey State Police, the Board of Health, municipal employees, the Agricultural Advisory Board, local veterinarians, the county OEM and other agencies; and other local agencies such as the Board of Education, the medical community, and local business and service organizations, according to Grbelja.

Grbelja has named several individuals as deputy coordinators of the cabinet. Lester Jargowsky is a Monmouth County Public Health officer who lives in Millstone. Resident Chris Boylar serves as a firefighter in New Brunswick and is on that municipality's OEM board as well.

"He [Boylar] was involved on several federal committees dealing with homeland security," Grbelja said.

Another deputy coordinator is Michael Ackerman, a resident who is a retired police chief from Ocean Township. Ackerman currently serves in the U.S. Army on special missions. Kenn Gann, the foreman of the Department of Public Works, will also serve as a deputy coordinator. He is a retired police chief from Marlboro who was previously involved with the OEM. James Pickering, the township's business administrator, and Jerry Weaver, a second lieutenant with the township's first aid squad, will also serve as deputy coordinators.

The Township Committee voted 4-1 at its last meeting to name Grbelja as the township's OEM coordinator, with Committeeman Elias Abilheira voting against the measure.

Grbelja will replace longtime OEM coordinator Ron Trust in the position.

"It's difficult to give up a leader that we've had for many years, and it was a difficult decision," Grbelja said. "I think [Trust] did a wonderful job during the time he spent in office, but we are trying to move the OEM to a different level."

Noting that some of the other OEM members may not like the township's decision to replace Trust, Grbelja said she hopes that all the township's volunteers will stay on and continue to work with her.

When asked why he voted against the measure, Abilheira said he would prefer to see someone else take the position because he thinks it's one too many hats for the mayor to wear.

Grbelja said no one else had stepped up to be the coordinator so she nominated herself for the position.

"I had asked a number of people if they were willing to take the spot," she said. "When I didn't hear a word from them, I was willing to step up. My shoulders are broad, and I am willing to take on a challenge."

According to Grbelja, the cabinet consists of a core council of people that the township will depend on in the event of an emergency.

"When something happens, this is who is called and who responds," she said. "The goal is to make the community safer, stronger and better prepared for preventing and handling threats of terrorism, crime and disasters of all kinds," she said.

She continued, "We should be able to hit the ground running without second-guessing anything."

Over the past year, the township started and continued with discussions of formulating a plan in the event of a natural disaster or other event that puts people at risk.

Grbelja noted that the township was not involved to the level it should have been in terms of its emergency services and response teams.

In the past, Grbelja said there has been a disconnect in communications among the emergency response units in town. She admitted that even as an elected official, she did not know who would step in during a large-scale emergency.

Grbelja said the township wants to determine who is responsible if a particular incident occurs, how emergency response teams can work together and how the township can act as an umbrella for all those services to mesh their skills in a way that can best protect township residents.

"The crux of the [matter] is to be able to work as a very fluid system," she said.

Grbelja has set some goals for the cabinet, which include being able to keep track of equipment in town, encouraging more community volunteerism and participation, and better educating citizens on safety and what to do in the event of an emergency.

"The township needs to match the skill sets of the members of the community with tasks that they can take on in the event of an emergency," she said. "The township needs to survey its residents to see who is out there and what talents they can provide."

Noting that "this is a big task," Grbelja said, "We will start initially and build layer upon layer."