By David Kilbly, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — With about 15,000 residents living in a mixture of rural, suburban and urban settings, the municipality presents unique challenges when it comes to emergency management.
However, the township’s Emergency Management Council of a dozen and a half employees and volunteers were there to meet those challenges when Hurricane Sandy came.
At the Bordentown Committee meeting Dec. 10, there was talk about how this council can improve its emergency response efforts, but some efforts are inhibited by state and county laws for safety purposes.
”All municipalities were to fend for themselves for the first 72 hours,” said Andy Law, emergency management coordinator, adding the county has a policy that says everybody needs to stay where they are for the first three days after a major storm before seeking county or municipal shelter.
Also, state laws prohibit crews from working on downed power lines and removing fallen trees in winds over 40 mph, Mr. Law said while summarizing the township’s response to the hurricane a few days afterward.
Working around this law, Mr. Law also said the Department of Public Works worked through the evening, through the storm, even as power lines were coming down.
As soon as the township was allowed to set up a shelter, the emergency management team set one up in the high school within three hours, he added.
”People didn’t come,” Mr. Law said at the Dec. 10 meeting. “There’s nothing you can do for people who stay where they are.”
Mayor Karl Feltes, while satisfied with the overall emergency management for the hurricane, responded by admitting learning how to best manage events like Hurricane Sandy takes time.
”In every experience, you learn something,” he said.
Committeeman Jim Cann said the township needs to look into preparing for future storms now, adding there are churches in town willing to offer space for shelter should another major storm approach.
Alluding to comments made by Committeewoman Jill Popko, who was not present, Mr. Cann said as major storms become more prevalent, people may become more willing to take shelter.
Mr. Law said all shelters need to be certified by the Red Cross before being sponsored by a public entity, adding the Red Cross requires administration and EMS personnel to be in all shelters before it grants certification.
He added that although shelters were not allowed to be open until three days after the storm, temporary holding areas with heat were permitted.
He said looking for other places in town that could serve as shelters and setting up temporary holding areas are “some areas we can explore, and I suggest we do that.”
He said emergency management has come a long way since he became coordinator a few years ago.
”When I was appointed emergency management coordinator, there was no council, and the high school was not appointed as an emergency shelter,” he said.
There are 18 members on the Emergency Management Council this year. The members include Mr. Law; Mayor Feltes; Police Chief Frank Nucera; Chief Ray Fackenthall, Fire Marshal Steven Scholey and Commissioner Thomas Dwier of Fire District. No. 1; as well as Chief William Hartman and Lt. Keith Scully of Fire District No. 2.
Members also include Brian Maugeri Sr., EMS supervisor; Dean Buhrer, Public Works director; Dr. Constance Bauer, superintendent of schools; Ricardo Pina, director of safety and security for Bordentown schools; Brian Johnson, director of community development; Pete Carbone, construction officer; and Richard Eustace of the Bordentown Sewer Authority.
The Emergency Management Council also includes volunteers Asghar Chaudhry and Joseph Makowsky.

