NJ Office of Emergency Management
| Colonel Rick Fuentes | Major John Hunt |
| Superintendent, New Jersey State Police State Director of Emergency Management |
Deputy State Director of Emergency Management |
| FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
| Neal Buccino (609) 882-2000 ext. 2738 | March 01, 2006 |
FOR “NJ DISASTER RESERVIST PROGRAM”
Reservists will Communicate with Individuals Affected by Major Disasters
( WEST TRENTON ) – Colonel Rick Fuentes, Director of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), announced today that the application process is now open for individuals wishing to be trained for the state’s new Disaster Reservist Program.
The first round of training will consist of a single four-hour session, to be held in the first week of April. Training sessions will be held at separate locations for individuals wishing to join the Disaster Reservists’ North, South or Central New Jersey teams. Exact times and addresses are listed at the bottom of this media release, along with information on how to register and how to learn more about the program.
“With the New Jersey Disaster Reservists, we are creating a cadre of specialists who will help families and businesses recover from major disasters, from hurricanes and floods to industrial accidents and even terrorist incidents,” Fuentes said.
“These individuals will act as the State of New Jersey ’s representative to property owners affected by a major disaster,” Fuentes continued. “They will help families, business owners and local government officials negotiate the process of applying for Federal assistance when it is available. And they will leap into action with the Federal declaration of an emergency in New Jersey .”
The Disaster Reservist Program seeks to recruit members with administrative and communications skills, and those with experience in engineering, finance or emergency management. When activated, Disaster Reservists would be compensated at the rate of $25 per hour.
Space at the training sessions is limited. Those individuals who have already expressed their interest in joining the Disaster Reservists will be contacted first. If space allows, individuals will be allowed to register for training at the door. However, individuals are urged to register by March 31.
Dates, times and locations for New Jersey Disaster Reservist Program training are as follows:
- North Jersey team :
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5, at the Passaic County OEM facility, 300 Oldham Road , Wayne . For directions: 973-904-3621.
- South Jersey team :
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6, at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center , 53 Academy Drive , Westampton. For directions: 609-518-7200.
- Central Jersey team :
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 7, at the Ocean County OEM facility, R.J. Miller Airpark, Route 530, Bayville. For directions: 732-341-3451.
The main point of contact for the New Jersey Disaster Reservist Program is Sgt. First Class William McDonnell, Unit Head of NJOEM’s Public Assistance Unit, at 609-882-2000 ex. 2351 or LPP4201@gw.njsp.org.
Please call Sgt. McDonnell to learn more about the program, or to learn how to join.
For more information on NJOEM programs and on basic emergency preparedness for families, businesses and local government officials, visit NJOEM’s website: www.nj.gov/njoem.
To stay informed about disasters and emergencies in New Jersey via social media, follow the NJOEM on Twitter @ReadyNJ, "like" us on www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY, or get email and text message alerts via www.Nixle.com or www.njalert.gov.
