Emergency Management
Coordinator
Fire Official Ray Stromberg
Deputy Coordinator
Lt. Thomas Donovan
Tel: 973.989.7039
Emergency Management is the process of coordinating all available resources to serve the needs of the community during times of emergency events, whether due to natural disaster, major storm system, long-term power outage, chemical or hazardous material incident or terrorist threat.
Randolph’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), coordinated and operated by the police department, works to identify and analyze the hazards that may face Randolph and develops contingency plans for each with the goal of protecting lives and property. During a disaster situation, it is the lead agency in coordinating resources in the township and resources that other county and state agencies may supply.
Randolph’s OEM is required to have a state-approved Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) as well as a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
The LEPC, whose members include key municipal officials and community leaders who are experts in their fields, is tasked with formulating and writing the township’s EOP.
The plan establishes policies, procedures and organizational structures for response to a major emergency and provides for the coordination between the township and other government and emergency units. Through effective use of local, county and state resources, the plan addresses the four phases of emergency management:
- Mitigation
Actions taken to eliminate a hazard, or to reduce the probability and the effect, should the disaster occur. Such actions include building codes, special identification and routing requirements for the movement of hazardous material, and land use and zoning requirements. - Preparedness
Actions taken to facilitate disaster response and recovery. This includes developing and testing the plan, training personnel, and identifying resources to deal with situations that may develop in the community. By emphasizing a coordinated approach, the loss of life and property can be minimized. To be properly prepared, Randolph must assess the hazards facing it, assign responsibilities to the various agencies, know what resources are immediately available, and ensure that those who respond are properly trained. - Response
Actions taken to save lives and property during an emergency. This is where everything comes together and may include search and rescue, fire suppression, evacuation, emergency sheltering, etc. It may also include behind-the-scenes activities such as activating emergency plans and activation of an Emergency Operations Center. - Recovery
Actions taken to return the community to normal or near normal conditions. This could include reconstruction of roads and public facilities, securing financial aid for disaster victims, and review and critique of response activities. This phase also leads back to mitigation. During rebuilding, efforts are made to identify ways to prevent such damage from occurring again.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Randolph Township currently has a CERT team consisting of eighteen members. CERT members give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.
CERT team members receive basic-level training in the following areas:
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Total training is usually about 18 hours, scheduled in 2-4 hour modules, over a period of weeks or months, in order to address the scheduling needs of team members. Training courses, student materials and equipment are provided free of charge.
Interested in joining the Randolph CERT?
For more information, contact Ray Stromberg at 973.989.7039.