Lambertville City Councilwoman Cynthia Ege testified before the state Assembly Federal Relations Committee.
By: Linda Seida
When the state Assembly’s Federal Relations Committee gathered last week to try to determine why New Jersey’s municipalities and counties failed to receive federal aid after the April flood, Lambertville Councilwoman Cynthia Ege told the legislators the denial is a huge blow for local emergency services workers.
The purpose of the hearing was to "get a good picture of the flood and how we move from here, and have a better relationship with our federal government," Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-15, chairman of the committee, said when he opened the hearing June 9.
Also testifying was Jeff Callahan, assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The DOT is at a "dead end" where flood aid is concerned, Mr. Callahan said, because the two funding sources that could help the DOT the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Highway Emergency Relief Program both have said the DOT’s efforts during the April flood do not qualify for aid.
April’s flooding resulted in the fourth worst recorded flood level in the state in the past century, according to Mr. Callahan. He called it "the second 100-year flood in six months." It affected the counties of Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren.
FEMA granted aid to the owners of private property after the April flood, but not to the public sector. The public damage estimate of $7.5 million is not enough to meet the FEMA threshold for aid to New Jersey, which is set at $9.59 million.
Particularly perplexing and vexing to municipal officials is the fact FEMA granted aid to the public sector in New Jersey after September’s flood, which was severe and damaging, yet not as damaging as the April flood. Acting Gov. Richard Codey appealed the denial last week.
"The particular dollar figure is adjusted annually," he wrote in his letter of appeal to Daniel A. Craig, Recovery Division director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "The figure for all disasters on or after October 1, 2004 has been set at $1.14 per capita, or $9,592,359 statewide for New Jersey … this figure is to be used as an indicator, together with other factors, to determine the severity of a disaster. Yet, the quoted comments from FEMA officials (in several newspaper articles) indicate that this figure was not only used as a prohibited threshold but also was the sole factor considered in deviation of the regulation."
Mrs. Ege said in an interview the day after her testimony, "One of the statements I’ve been hit with the most is that we (the United States) always respond quickly when a disaster strikes outside our borders, but when something hits us at home, it seems that FEMA makes you jump through hoops to receive what our tax dollars pay for."
In her testimony Mrs. Ege said, "While we are grateful that our residents and businesses were declared by FEMA, it seems that those who gave most to ensure public safety, potentially risking their own lives, and the municipalities who took measures to quickly and most efficiently return families to their homes are being penalized the most."
Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio, who also attended the hearing, contends those who are hurt the most by FEMA’s denial are the firefighters and rescue workers who have limited resources and no easy way to replenish funds.
Mrs. Ege told lawmakers, "Now, fundraising is their only alternative and it will take thousands of hot dog and pancake sales to compensate for this financial burden."
She added, "Like in many other communities bordering the Delaware, our Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department and Rescue Squad, all volunteer operations, worked around the clock, 24 hours for several days, lost time from work, purchased fuel and experienced equipment loss due to the nonstop wear and tear."
In September, the Lambertville Fire Department had $11,600 in flood damages, which was reimbursed by FEMA. Following the April flood, the department estimates flood-related damages of approximately $30,000, which is based on the FEMA reimbursement schedule.
"They have a lot more that FEMA won’t reimburse, such as food ($1,517.92), fuel ($966.14) and cleanup of equipment ($256)," said Mrs. Ege, whose husband and son are volunteer firefighters in Lambertville.
Former Lambertville Fire Chief Robert "Peachy" Hayes issued a statement through Mrs. Ege. He said, "From April 1, 2005 through April 7, 2005, the Lambertville Fire Department (manpower, apparatus and equipment) responded to and performed the following duties during the flood: Handing out evacuation notices and informational updates to the public; evacuation of citizens; traffic control; pump-outs of basements, yards and apartment complexes; provided electric from generators; provided meals for firefighters, emergency services workers, utility workers and community members; provided escorts for special services used by the city; extra fire protection was provided by other fire departments throughout Hunterdon County."
The DOT spent approximately $1.135 million to respond to the April flood, Mr. Callahan said. The DOT’s response included such emergency actions as closing roads and assigning detours, clearing mudslides and inspecting and repairing bridges after the flood.