S.O. SAFE
South Orange Village
SPRING 2012
A publication from the South Orange Citizens Public Safety Committee
TAKE A LOOK
INSIDE CPSC Welcome Message FAQs: Speeding on Streets Save the Date: NNO 2012 Police Best Practices Study PD Spotlight: Chief Chelel PD 1Q Crime Statistics Police Unity Tour
“Aspiring kindness” gives back to the Fire Dept. On March 25, 2012 the South Orange Fire Department was lucky enough to receive a gift from Aspiring Kindness. Aspiring Kindness is a not-for-profit group formed by the friends of Aaron Karol, one of the victims of the 2000 Boland Hall fire at Seton Hall. His loss inspired his friends to form this group to remember and honor Aaron while raising funds to benefit fire departments/EMTs/ ambulatory services, hospital burn units, and the Aaron Karol memorial scholarship. As part of its mission, Aspiring Kindness chose to give a gift to the South Orange Fire Department to help with its mission of fire prevention and education. Jason Tarantino spoke for Aspiring Kindness in the presence of group members and Aaron Karol’s parents. He presented a complete package of a laptop, projector, an 80-inch projection screen, software package, and all of the trimmings to South Orange fire chief Jeff Markey and his firefighters. Also present were
Village President Alex Torpey, Village Trustees Michael Goldberg and Howard Levison, police chief James Chelel, and representative members of other public safety groups. The event was brief but emotional. Chief Markey remarked that even though one can never understand the loss of a loved one, we can understand the need to support those who have lost someone. He said that he and his men take any loss personally and were thankful to Aspiring Kindness for the tools to spread their message of the three “E’s” of fire safety: education, engineering, and enforcement. In this time of budget constraints, this gift will allow the fire department to continue much needed training that otherwise may not have been possible. For more information about Aspiring Kindness, check out its website at www.aspiringkindness.org. Page 1
Grant Funding for Fire Truck Disaster Preparedness FD Spotlight: Chief Markey 2011 Fire Dept. Stats Meet Our Newest Firefighters Rescue Squad: 60 Years Rescue Squad: 1Q Statistics Give Blood on May 27th Emergency Notifications Water Quality Report SHU Safety Updates Junior Police Academy MSSO ”Business Watch” Numbers to Know
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CPSC MEMBERS & CONTRIBUTORS Sheena Collum, Chair, CPSC
Tracey Randinelli, Editor
Michael Goldberg, Trustee Liaison
Jeff Angel, CERT Co-Manager
Kelsey Coolidge, SHU Student Rep.
Maggie VanDiehl
Henry Hamel
Kenneth Sorocki
Michael Baldwin
Evan Lehrer
Scott Egelberg CPSC Meetings are held the 4th Tuesday every month at Village Hall beginning at 7:30PM
Message from the South Orange Citizens Public Safety Committee Welcome to our first edition of S.O. SAFE, a new publication of the Citizens Public Safety Committee (CPSC) that we hope will be an informative resource for the community to learn about various public safety initiatives. The CPSC was formed in early 2010 by residents who wanted to become more involved with public safety in our Village - and we’ve enjoyed a lot of great success. The committee has hosted several topical town hall meetings in conjunction with the Police Department to inform and educate citizens about a whole host of topics; we’ve partnered with various departments to bring you National Night Out - an annual event that celebrates the success and achievements of all our various first responders and has drawn over 1,000 residents since its inception; we’ve raised thousands of dollars to support initiatives such as Downtown After Sundown and have recruited volunteers for our Community Emergency Response Team.
For every member of the CPSC, this has been a great honor to work along side our Village President, Board of Trustees and public safety departments. It’s given us a unique perspective on the challenges of our community and how so many moving pieces work together to make this town all that it can be. We hope you, too, will consider getting involved - whether it be with our committee, Neighborhood Watch, the Community Emergency Response Team, or simply volunteering for one of our events/programs. We also wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your generous support during the month of April for our toy drive. We collected hundreds of toys that will serve to benefit children who have to wait at the police department as a result of domestic violence incidents. We were able to replenish a waiting room full of gifts that you supplied. Also, the CPSC has recently partnered with the Village and the Rescue Squad to
bring back the annual Charity Golf Tournament. Save the date for October 15th! We’ve set a goal to raise $15,000 to help support the operating expenses of our volunteer Rescue Squad. To learn more about the CPSC and how you can get involved, please contact Sheena Collum, Chair, at sccollum@mac.com or 201.704.0484. We looking forward to hearing from you!
April 2012 Toy Drive Donations
FAQs: What can be done about speeding on my street? Speeding is by far the most frequent issue raised by residents. It is an issue that impacts all neighborhoods and can be addressed with a variety of potential solutions. • Speed trailer - The Police Department owns a mobile speed trailer that can be deployed to an area experiencing speeding issues. The speed trailer displays the speed of passing vehicles and does successfully deter people from speeding—albeit temporarily. • Striping - One cause of speeding in the neighborhoods is our wide streets with limited curbside parking. A potential solution: paint “shoulder lanes” or “bike lanes” on the roadway to visually narrow the roadway for drivers. Naturally, the perception of a narrower road will cause traffic to slow. • Speed humps - A more expensive, but also more effective, solution. These raised portions of the roadway inherently force drivers to slow down. However, a few notes must be considered: • Speed humps can only be installed on roads with fewer than 3,000 vehicle trips per day • Speed humps can only be installed on roads that are completely contained within the municipality • Speeds humps can only be installed after a traffic study is completed to ascertain the average speed of traffic on the road • Installation of speed humps on one road will likely divert traffic to parallel roads, so they all must be examined in totality The Public Safety Committee meets monthly in Village Hall, and the public is always welcome to attend. If you would like something placed on the agenda for discussion, send an email to the Chair, Trustee Michael Goldberg, at mgoldberg@southorange.org. Check the Village calendar for the date of an upcoming meeting.
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SAVE THE DATE
3RD ANNUAL SOUTH ORANGE
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT TUESDAY, AUGUST 7TH
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Scope of Work: 1. Organizational assessments A survey and analysis of operations, budgeting, structure and management, policies and procedures, dispatching, and functions and activities of the department. 2. Police protection risk analysis Evaluation of the condition and location of facilities, equipment, and vehicles used for police services. 3. Budget and operations Assessment of the organization and structure of the current services for cost effectiveness, efficiency and appropriateness to services delivered, as well as insurance services, office standards, and studies. 4. Evaluation and recommendations for effective of training and staffing Provide an evaluation of and recommendation on appropriate level of police staffing, as well as scheduling, in regard to daily workloads, deployment of proactive measures to reduce crime and fear of crime, and the ability of the department to appropriately respond to unforeseen emergencies. 5. Emergency response Recommendations to prepare the department to meet future trends and needs of the community in emergency response preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery will be considered in light of recent data collected. 6. Responsiveness to community Community relations functions and services will be examined and will include resident/business feedback. 7. Response time Measures regarding turn-around time, travel time, on-scene time, initiation of action time, and termination of incident time, as compared to national standards and other like communities, will be considered. To learn more, visit: http://www.southorange.org/ notices.asp?guid=da9f9853
Police Best Practices Study Underway The South Orange Board of Trustees (BOT) began soliciting proposals from consulting firms to conduct a best practices study of the police department in June, 2011. As described in the request for proposals (RFP), the purpose of this study is not an audit, but an opportunity to provide information useful for making informed decisions about how to best equip the police department with the necessary tools and resources to meet the needs of the community today and into the future, especially under the budget constraints that exist in the municipal setting. The Village recognizes the extraordinary job our police department does on a daily basis, along with the unique challenges that it faces. Bringing in outside professionals with diverse and comprehensive experiences across many disciplines will help bring a fresh set of eyes not only to our operations but also the management (capital costs, equipment purchasing, HR planning, etc.) among the Board and the Village and ensure that we continue to stay cutting-edge in South Orange as to how we keep our community safe. It was important to involve the police department at all levels of this discussion, as reflected by the committee that discussed this process and selected the final firm. Seven submissions were received for consideration in response to the RFP; a nine-member volunteer committee was subsequently selected to review proposals/sample reports and interview candidates. The committee recommended that the contract be awarded to the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA) [http://icma.org]. Subsequently, the BOT approved the awarding of this contract to ICMA on February 15, 2012. Some of the specific areas that the Village anticipates to be reviewed are as follows: • Prevention and public education efforts • Ability to deploy proactive crime reduction measures • Use of technology/radio communication, dispatching, and potential regionalization of this service • Use of current law enforcement technologies including (but not limited to) the use of cameras to monitor public spaces for virtual patrol • Potential and pros/cons of establishing the use of auxiliary police officers • Review current "Town/Gown" cooperation, operations, and procedures with Seton Hall University • Reviewing criminal investigations, property/evidence storage, and records management • Review the quality and quantity of construction/work zone management in the realm of traffic safety
Next Steps Over the next four months, ICMA will be working closely with the Police Department and Village staff to conduct this comprehensive study. Community feedback will be solicited via the Village website and through the channels of the Citizens Public Safety Committee and the South Orange Neighborhood Watch Organization. Upon completion and acceptance of the report, ICMA will present its report and recommendations to the South Orange Police Department, Board of Trustees, and the community at large.
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SOPD Profile: Chief Jim Chelel The South Orange Police Department (SOPD) is headed by a hometown product: Chief James M. Chelel. Chief Chelel’s first-hand knowledge of the community and its surroundings gives him a special feel for the job of serving and protecting the citizens, merchants, and visitors of South Orange. Growing up in town gave the chief a greater sense for the people that live in the town “I just have a feel for the community,” he says. That feel was instilled by his parents at an early age. “My stepmother owned a business in town,” he explains. “My father was always active in the town and in government as well. And I guess you could say I was raised to believe that you should be active in the community.” Chelel, 52, moved to Eder Terrace in South Orange with his parents, sister, and two brothers when he was 12 years old. He attended South Orange Middle School and went on to graduate from Columbia High School in 1978, as did both of his brothers. Upon graduation from Columbia, Chelel’s collegiate choice was also local. The chief attended Rutgers Newark, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1982. Drawn to criminal justice, he considered becoming a lawyer before pursuing a career in law enforcement—inspired in part by his father, who worked for the Sheriff’s Department. “He made me aware of the tests that were being administered,” the chief explains, “and I just took the test.” That career calling led him to join the South Orange Police Department in August 1984, where he has remained and risen through the ranks.
Chelel spent the better part of his career in the investigative side of police work as a member of the SOPD Detective Bureau. “There are particular cases, a couple homicides, carjackings, that I was fortunate enough to work with my colleagues and solve, that I thought were rewarding,” he says. Particularly satisfying were the cases that, in solving them, provided closure. “When somebody lost their life and you were able to more or less speak for the people who couldn’t,” he explains, “that’s always rewarding.” The detective took it personally when violent crime affected his community. “There was a homicide of an elderly individual that occurred during the course of an armed robbery,” he remembers. “We were able to solve and prosecute that crime.”
With his field experience, Chelel added post-graduate degrees to his resume, graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico in 1997 and earning a master’s degree in criminal justice from Jersey City State College in 1998.
Chelel has headed up the SOPD’s force since 2003, which currently stands at 51 officers. “I guess you could say I have an open-door policy,”
he says, describing his leadership style. He regularly solicits input from all different levels of the force, from management to sergeants to lieutenants. “I think everybody has good ideas and can benefit from that,” he says. “I’m very fortunate that we have outstanding supervisors and officers that
work hard and do a good job.” What challenges does SOPD face going forward? Chief Chelel cites those brought on by the surrounding communities that the Village borders.
“Some of them experience high crime rates,” he says, “and it’s important that we remain diligent on the border patrol.” In addition, he says that the force feels the difficulty brought on by today’s economic times. “I don’t think it’s an easy time to be in law enforcement, nor is it an easy time to be in politics, because financial times present problems,” the chief says. “Everybody wants to keep their
community safe, but it’s tough to meet those goals. Everybody is asked to do more with less.” The hometown police chief cares deeply about his community and his role in keeping it safe. “Any crime that happens, I take personally,” he says. “I want everyone to know that the police department works hard day in and day out to make sure that the residents of our town as well as the people that travel through feel safe.”
The Numbers: First Quarter 2012
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South Orange Detective Adrian Acevedo to participate in police unity tour DC. There are more than 19,000 names engraved on the memorial; all officers who've made the ultimate sacrifice. Proceeds will go to those officers' families, the memorial, and the museum, which is currently under construction.
On May 9, 2012, South Orange Police Department Detective Adrian Acevedo will participate in the 2012 Police Unity Tour. The Police Unity Tour is a fundraising and public awareness campaign in support of the victims and families of police officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The Tour is a bicycle ride by hundreds of police officers riding in memory of fallen officers. The ride starts in East Hanover, New Jersey and treks four days over 300 miles, concluding on May 12 with a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington
But Detective Acevedo says the hard work is worth it. “Whatever sacrifice that we make in getting from here to DC. pales in comparison to what those officers gave."
The Police Unity Tour was originally organized by Florham Park Police Officer Patrick P. Montuore in 1997. What started with 18 riders raising $18,000 has grown to over 1,400 riders nationwide - raising over $1.5 million each year. Donations to date total nearly $11 million. This year marks Detective Acevedo's seventh time participating in the Tour. "Each year, I ride in honor of a particular officer who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he explains. “I ride with the officer's name and 'end of watch' date on a bracelet. At the end of the ride, I give the bracelet to the family of the fallen officer, which is a very emotional, moving experience.” This year, Detective Acevedo is riding to honor Officer Joseph Wargo of Mount Arlington, NJ. The ride is an exhausting, but extremely rewarding, experience. "One year it was over 100 degrees each day, once it was freezing. In 2008 it down poured, every single day.”
For more information about the Police Unity Tour, visit www.policeunitytour.com. To contribute to Detective Acevedo's cause, visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/adrian-acevedo/2012-police-unity-tour. -- DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THE END OF MAY -
Fire Department receives grant to replace 23-year-old fire truck The South Orange Fire Department (SOFD) is known for the invaluable assistance it provides our community. Now, it’s getting some assistance of its own—thanks to an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) recently awarded to the department. The AFG program is a highly competitive, federally funded program whose 2011 funding level was $405 million. In the past, South Orange has received three grants of its kind. The first, in 2004, helped the department secure a diesel exhaust system and an emergency generator for the firehouse. The second, a 2008 grant for health and wellness that provided physicals for the firefighters along with exercise equipment used to increase firefighters’ health and fitness. The third grant awarded in 2009 helped the department get three thermal imaging cameras, three multi gas detectors, and a HAZMAT trailer to carry various equipment. The AFG program saw more than 15,000 applications in 2011, including 5,800 for vehicles. South Orange was awarded one of those vehicles—a ladder truck to replace a 23-year-old truck. The Village expects to complete the purchase and delivery of the replacement truck within the twelvemonth performance period as outlined by the AFG program. With the approval for the ladder truck, the Village has received over $900,000 from the AFG program. Congratulations to everyone who have worked so hard to secure these grants! Page 6
Join the South Orange Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
By Jeff Angel, CERT Co-Manager If you’re like most South Orange residents, the chances are good that you’ve never heard of CERT—or if you have, you’ve confused it with the breath mint. In reality, CERT refers to our town’s Community Emergency Response Team program. Personally, I had no clue what it was when I sat down at my first Citizens Public Safety Committee meeting. I learned that CERT is a program that falls under the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) in which private citizens are educated in disaster preparedness and trained in basic disaster skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT’s primary objective is to increase the knowledge held by everyday citizens of what to do in case of crisis, natural disaster, or any other emergency situation in which the professional responders are not immediately available to help. I felt that learning some basic skills and knowledge on these topics in the case any kind of disaster or emergency were to occur in our area was only a good thing for my family, neighbors, and community, so I took the course—and I’m glad I did. The CERT training was neither as intense nor as demanding of either time or physical
exertion as I thought it would be. When I was first asked if I would be interested in joining the CERT program, I was reluctant. I figured, “How can I find the time to offer such a commitment when I have other commitments such as my wife, kids, a lawn that needs mowing, t-ball, swim lessons, and oh yeah…. a job!” The great thing about CERT that prompted me to take the course is that it does not involve a huge dedication of time for either the initial course or for being a CERT member. Also, in no way was it a rigorous training course where I’d have to be nineteen to survive as I had pictured. The initial training course was actually a 20-hour modular lesson given four Saturdays in a row for five hours a day. During the last session there was a review of the previous sessions, and a practical allowed me to put my lessons to the test with a mock disaster (which yes, maybe that was a little hokey, but it was also a lot of fun and interesting). The CERT lessons cover topics such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, terrorism, and the history of the CERT organization. They include broad and basic concepts and terms, as well as some practical hands on lessons involving first aid and search and rescue. Upon completing the course, participants receive a bag of goodies including a hard hat, vest, and a spark-proof wrench to turn the gas off in the case of an emergency. Once you become a CERT member, you will be notified of other courses that are offered as additional education, and you are entitled to attend any of them if you choose. Incident Command Systems, CPR, Basic First Aid, AED (Automated External Defibrillator), POD (Points of Distribution) and Emergency Operations Centers are among some of the additional training courses that are offered beyond the initial 20-hour training course. Sometimes notices are put out requesting volunteers for events or other community-
related services, but once again there is no obligation to attend or assist in any way as a member. You can very well take the course for your own knowledge and then never volunteer as a CERT member if you so choose. Andrew Boyarsky and I were recently named the co-managers for our South Orange CERT program. As the OEM designee for the town, the CERT responsibility falls directly under Village President Alex Torpey, but as in most cases where the town official is the OEM designee, we also have a CERT manager position that would be responsible for scheduling and arranging the courses. As the CERT managers we will communicate to members when there are potential CERT orientated volunteer opportunities coming up in the future, or in the case CERT is called upon to volunteer (remember, you don’t have to) for an emergency. As the instructor for the CERT courses, we as a town rely on Tom Giordano, the Assistant Director for Emergency Management at Seton Hall, for our town’s CERT training and distribution of information. Tom is certified by OEM to train citizens in the CERT training course, which he traditionally holds twice a year. Please visit http://southorange.org/ CERT/default.asp to register for the next upcoming class by clicking on the “volunteering” hyperlink, filling out the form and choosing CERT from the drop-down menu. As a resident of the village, I found the course extremely valuable in learning basic knowledge in how to be prepared in case professional assistance is not readily available. It's a great benefit to all of us to have such a program in our community and I look forward to a successful CERT program here in South Orange.
Congratulations New CERT Members for Completing the March/April Training!
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SOFD Profile: Chief Jeff Markey
The Chief of the Fire Department of South Orange does not like to talk about himself. He’d rather stand back and let his men and women speak for themselves, and they do. In his 13 years as Chief, Jeff Markey has created an incredibly strong department of highly skilled and dedicated firefighters who have responded to more than 2,000 calls in 2011 alone. Unlike what many think, this is only part of what the fire department does for South Orange.
Chief Markey has been a firefighter for 37 years. Although it is clearly his calling, he had not thought about the career until a friend of his was preparing to take the civil service test. At the time, the chief had a good but uninspiring job as an architectural draftsman. He still vividly recalls the first day that he walked into the firehouse and found his mission. The opportunity to help people was the motivation that fueled him to excel through the ranks—and still drives him to keep improving his department, despite tighter fiscal restrictions and an increase in workload. Although it has taken most of his tenure as chief, he has crafted the department’s maintenance and capital improvement needs into a sustainable and efficient plan. Chief Markey’s diligence can be seen in many ways, most recently in the grant the department received from the federal government to purchase a new fire truck for South Orange.
Currently, 31 firefighters staff the department with the two newest members joining in September 2011. Despite the approximately 30 percent decrease in manpower over the last several years, there have been three times the number of calls. Beyond that, Chief Markey makes sure that all of his firefighters have not only their fire training, but also emergency medical training. His officers are held to an even higher standard, with every single one holding a fire inspector certification. South Orange is also a good neighbor that responds to calls for mutual aid in Orange, West Orange, East Orange, Maplewood, and Newark approximately 60–70 times a year.
Members of the SOFD are called to fight everything from house fires to car fires to brush fires, electrical fires, and chemical fires. They also
respond to explosions, bomb threats, hazardous conditions, spills and leaks, and flooding. They rescue people from elevators and assist Emergency Medical Services when needed. Many are not aware that in South Orange, there are also 630 properties that require routine inspection by the chief and his officers. These
2011 Fire Dept. Statistics
properties are comprised mostly of businesses and multiple dwelling units such as apartment buildings. The fire department also plays a role in safety for new structures
11%
in South Orange and is involved in the early planning stages of any public building
8%
so that all codes are met.
The fire department plays a huge role in safety at schools, providing inspections and fire prevention programs for all public and private schools within South Orange. The department also conducts inspections of Seton Hall University and
32%
31%
provides several fire safety programs for the 10,000 students and staff of the University on and off campus. The fire department also assists with additional inspections at the University’s request and partners with the University to develop fire safety plans, implement inspection findings, and provide classes in fire prevention and safety awareness. The department also continually looks after the younger students
6%
11%
by requiring that every fire drill at each South Orange school be scheduled with the fire department so that members can be present and monitor the situation.
System or detector malfunction - 165 Public services assistance - 672 Electrical wiring/equipment problem - 240 Structure fire - 129 Other - 657 Unintentional system/detector operation - 234
The department works hard when we need them and values help from the
community. Prevention, raising awareness, and fire safety education are the best ways to keep your family safe. The fire department is glad to hear from the community and will be happy to schedule an in-home safety inspection at the request of residents. Their website, http://southorange.org/firedept.asp, provides some basic information about fire prevention and gives details about more services that the fire department provides to residents to assist in fire prevention.
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Meet Our Newest Firefighters The South Orange Fire Department has welcomed two native Villagers to its ranks. Antonio Popola and David Klugel recently completed training as members of the first fire class to train at the Essex County Police Academy. The two have been working fulltime shifts, learning each of the varied roles of a South Orange firefighter, while completing their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training. With their initial training behind them, Popola and Klugel were kind enough to share a little about themselves and their experiences becoming the newest of our Village’s heroes. Both men have always wanted to be firefighters. Popola took the initial exam at age 22, but had to wait five years before there was an opening for him. During that time, Popola earned his living working in food services and studied at the French Culinary Institute. Klugel bided his time working in the electronics industry during the four to five years before his call came as well. If waiting for five years for just a chance at your dream job seems difficult, consider the training the two went through to be physically prepared for the demands they faced in the academy and beyond. Klugel focused on cardio, strength and endurance training. Popola was known to run up and down Floods Hill with a weighted vest on in order to simulate the approximately 80 pounds of
equipment a firefighter must carry. Beyond the physical requirements, each needed to pass a stress test, a psychological exam and background investigations. The almost 10 weeks of class included written, practical, and physical assessments covering topics like Incident Command Systems, Blood-Borne Pathogens, Right to Know, Hazardous Materials Awareness, and Operational Training, as well as certifications in CPR and First Responder medical procedures. A typical day included classroom work, drills at the Verona smoke house, and physical training. Klugel described the training as very diversified, requiring knowledge of all of the equipment and when and how to use it. In the end, Popola and Klugel were two of 10 men from the original 13-member class who successfully completed the training. Graduation from the academy earned both Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certifications for the men. EMT training started after the academy, but coincided with their beginning shifts at the firehouse. During that time they had limited eight-hour shifts shoehorned between the 120 hours of EMT classes. With formal training completed, they have moved on to learning each of the roles needed during a six- to eight-person shift at the firehouse. With 24-hour shifts, South Orange’s firefighters spend a lot of time
together and have welcomed Popola and Klugel into the camaraderie. South Orange has three engines, one truck, and a rescue vehicle that are kept ready to go at all times. Any time a call comes in, the necessary information is broadcast all over the firehouse and the necessary people and equipment are efficiently dispatched to help. In their down time, the firefighters can use the excellent gym on the premises, which was purchased through a government grant. As part of the grant, the firefighters were tested before the gym was installed and will be tested again in five to seven years to see if access to the equipment helps the firefighters to stay healthier on the job. Adapting to the erratic shift schedule has been a challenge for Klugel and Popola, but one well worth the wait. The satisfaction of responding to calls is its own reward. After their shift is over, both have their favorite activities and spots around town. For example, Klugel is training for a marathon next month to fundraise for the Special Olympics. To find out more about our newest firefighters, check out some of the fun facts they shared about themselves below and feel free to say hi when you see them around town.
hup c t a The M ntonio &A d i v Da Favorite pets
Two cats, Tony & Vinnie
A fish tank of cichlids, oscars and a catfish
Former jobs
Electronics project manager
Chef and food services
Favorite restaurant
Reservoir restaurant
Above
Favorite meal
Chicken Murphy
Chicken parmesan
Favorite TV
Discovery Channel
“The Family Guy”
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South Orange Rescue Squad: Celebrating 60 Years Now in its sixtieth year, the South Orange Rescue Squad provides the Township of South Orange Village with its medical service needs. Established in 1952 by a group of local residents and business owners, the all-volunteer organization works to provide residents with high quality, rapid, and efficient emergency medical services through the efforts of highly trained volunteers using state-of-the-art vehicles and medical equipment. The squad is currently located at the corner of Sloan Street and Third Street. The 20-year-old building houses the squad’s offices and ambulances, as well as a conference room, living room, kitchen, sleeping quarters, and restrooms complete with showers. The Rescue Squad currently has 45 volunteer staff members, 35 of whom are EMTs. A ninemember board of directors manages the squad. Each director is elected by the active members and serves a one-year term. Currently, three ambulances are in service along with one first responder vehicle. The squad responds primarily to medical emergencies in South Orange, though sometimes the crews are called into surrounding neighborhoods, including Maplewood. In 2012, the squad named Ken Greene as president and Will Harris as captain, succeeding Don Boyle and Kurt Gibson respectively. This is Greene’s second go-around as president of the squad. Joining in 1993, Greene has also served as captain, quartermaster, treasurer, and just about every other position, including a member of the board. Greene has also earned the distinction of being a “lifetime member” of the squad for having surpassed 1,000 calls. He received his EMT certification in 1994 and is also a CPR instructor who has helped train multiple Rescue Squad members and other first responders in South Orange. Greene grew up in South Orange and now lives in Livingston with his wife. He has been a dispatcher with the South Orange Police Department since 1997. Harris has been with the squad for six years, joining a year after moving to town from Montclair. Harris has also served as a crew chief and first lieutenant and is currently a board member. Harris received his EMT certification in 2007 and is also a CPR instructor. He currently lives in South Orange with his wife and two children. Boyle and Gibson left their posts after years spent running the squad together. They were honored by the South Orange Board of Trustees on January 23, 2012, when South Orange Village President Alex Torpey read a proclamation of appreciation during a BOT meeting. Gibson joined the squad in 2004. He served in the role of first lieutenant from 2008–2009 and captain from 2009–2011, and is still a member of the squad’s board of directors. He is a lifetime member as well. “My lasting impact will be the hard work I have put in to the squad in the last eight years and the time and dedication that has gone along with it,” Gibson said at the time. “Since I joined the squad, I was able to help add a third ambulance and a captain’s car and put a shower in the squad.” Boyle joined the squad in 2003. Also a lifetime member, he was first lieutenant and treasurer from 2005–2007, captain from 2008–2009 and president from 2010–2011. During his time as an officer, he assisted in restructuring the Rescue Squad’s financial records and rewriting bylaws and helped increased the overall membership of the squad. “The Rescue Squad will have a lasting impact on me,” said Boyle. “It is an experience unlike any other that I've had. I worked with a lot of really great people and I had the opportunity to respond to calls with both of my sons, an experience that few fathers will ever have.” The South Orange Rescue Squad follows all the guidelines of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. Members of the squad are trained both by the Rescue Squad and by a state of New Jersey-sponsored EMT certification program. The South Orange Rescue Squad is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that is funded by donations from the community. As a result of this, the squad has never had to charge for emergency medical service in its sixty-year existence. Residents interested in donating to the squad should visit its website at http://southorangerescuesquad.org.
2012 Statistics (as of 3/15/12) Emergencies responded to: 362 Miles driven in ambulance: 3,247 Volunteer hours contributed: 4,644 Mutual Aid to surrounding towns: 40 Mutual Aid to Maplewood: 37 Mutual Aid needed: 0 Certified EMT’s: 34 Members in EMT training: 3
2011 Statistics Emergencies responded to: 1,202 Miles driven in ambulance 10,251 Volunteer hours contributed: 17,155 Mutual Aid to surrounding towns: 171 Mutual Aid to Maplewood: 146 Mutual Aid needed: 0 Certified EMT’s: 33 Members in EMT training: 2
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4 THIRD STREET SOUTH ORANGE, NJ (BLOODMOBILE ON LOCATION) SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2012 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM 2 COMPLIMENTARY AMC MOVIE TICKETS GIVEN TO EACH BLOOD DONOR! ALL BLOOD DONORS MUST PRESENT PICTURE OR SIGNED IDENTIFICATION. ALL NEW BLOOD DONORS MUST KNOW THEIR S.S. NUMBER. SIXTEEN YEAR OLD BLOOD DONORS MUST HAVE CUSTODIAL PARENT ON SITE TO SIGN A PARENTAL CONSENT FORM. ALL BLOOD DONORS MUST WEIGH 120 LBS. AND MUST HAVE EATEN A MEAL 1 HOUR PRIOR TO DONATING. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: BRENDA SAUNDERS (973) 676-‐4700 X. 144.
THE BLOOD CENTER OF NEW JERSEY Page 11
Receive Emergency Management Notifications: www.southorange.org/alert South Orange’s Reverse 911 system is invaluable when it comes to assisting with communications during Village emergencies. The system is able to make many calls in a short period of time to residents. The Village uses a list of numbers in a database called the Emergency Subscriber List (ESL). All phone companies in New Jersey provide numbers to this data bank, which is used by a number of communities besides South Orange. The database contains both listed and unlisted numbers. The downside to the Reverse 911 system is that its uses are limited. It can only be used during an emergency. Also, the town has found that during emergency situations many residences may lose power and may be unreachable with today’s phone systems. Most use fiber optic lines and modems that require electrical power to operate. (Back-up batteries don’t work forever either.) South Orange is working on implementing a second system. This alert system requires residents to opt-in (by signing up on the Village website). This system
features a variety of ways to communicate to residents, and it can be used during nonemergency situations as well as emergencies. Residents can choose to receive notices via email, text message, or voice calls to a land line or a cell phone. If a resident’s phone is out, they may still have cell phone service. This system would help solve the power problem and has many uses because of the added email and text options.
Right now this system’s effectiveness is limited because of the limited number of residents who have signed up. Village President and OEM Coordinator Alex Torpey says, “There is an ongoing effort to get people to sign up to help get important messages out during emergency management situations.”
Water Quality Testing and Results (republished from www.southorange.org) In March 2011, the NJDEP cited the EOWC for exceeding the allowable concentration of one volatile organic compound (VOC), tetrachloroethylene, in drinking water distributed by EOWC. In particular, the NJDEP’s Notice indicated that, based on twelve months of water samples collected from within EOWC’s system through the first quarter of 2011, the NJDEP had calculated a running annual average of 1.54 µg/L (micro-grams per liter) for tetrachloroethylene. The applicable NJDEP regulations require that the running annual average for tetrachloroethylene, not exceed the NJDEP’s maximum concentration limit (“MCL”) of 1 µg/L, equivalent to 1 part per billion. The rounding protocol currently used by the NJDEP treats a running annual average of 1.5 µg/L or greater as an exceedance. Thus, the 1.54 µg/L result exceeded that figure. In order to keep its residents advised of the current quality of water being provided by EOWC to the South Orange residents, the Village has decided to post on its website the concentrations of tetrachloroethylene found in samples taken from two locations. The first location is the EOWC finishing plant at the
Millburn Pump Station, which sample is taken from the blended water from all of the EOWC wells. This sample is the official sample taken by EOWC and reported to the NJDEP. This sample is now taken by EOWC once a month, and it was the results from this sampling point which the NJDEP used to calculate the 2011 violation. The second location is from the tap at the Crest Drive firehouse. Water at this location is a blend of the EOWC water and water from Well #17 in South Orange, and is more indicative of the water that is actually distributed by EOWC within the Village. The Trustees have directed that samples at this location be taken independently of EOWC’s sampling. Beginning in February 2012 samples from this location are taken twice a month. The result of the EOWC testing and the Village’s independent testing are set forth in the graphic provided. Currently, the levels detected do not rise to the level of a NJDEP violation, but, as can be seen, the levels are high enough to warrant diligent monitoring. Please be assured that in the event there are ever results which would cause health concerns, the Village will immediately notify all affected water customers.
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DATE
EOWC
Jan. 2
1.02 µg/L
Jan. 20 Feb. 2
SOV
0.916 µg/L 0.959 µg/L
Feb. 20
0.849 µg/L
Feb. 27
0.849 µg/L
Mar. 6
0.938 µg/L
Mar. 23
0.953 µg/L
Mar. 23
0.940 µg/L
Apr. 3
1.08 µg/L
Seton Hall University has worked tirelessly to provide a safer environment for its students and residents in South Orange. These initiatives include efforts to get students off the street at night and offer better surveillance of the perimeter around Seton Hall’s campus. Among these projects from the Department of Public Safety, the following have proved most successful in reaching public safety goals.
SHU Safe Ride: SHU Safe Ride (along with the SHUFLY shuttle) is part of the University’s transportation and safety initiative. The initiative was undertaken to provide University community members with safe and convenient transportation within the Village.
The introduction of the SHU Safe Ride has resulted in a dramatic increase in ridership over the CASE ridership and is reflected in the following data:
Total SHU Safe Rides, September 1, 2011 thru March 11, 2012: 9,993 Total CASE rides for the same time period last year: 1,914 Successfully keeping nearly 8,000 more students off the street late at night in nearly a year is a huge success for Seton Hall University and the SHU Safe Ride.
University Safety Patrol Zone:
SHU Safe Ride began operating in September, at the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year, providing SHU community members with two-way transportation to locations in the immediate vicinity of campus that are not serviced by SHUFLY. SHU Safe Ride replaced the C.A.S.E (Campus Area Safety Escort) van service, which had been providing one way transportation from campus to locations in the immediate vicinity. CASE operated from fall 2007 thru spring 2011.
The University, in conjunction with Village Officials, established an “Off Campus Perimeter Safety Patrol Zone.” The University has assigned a uniformed Seton Hall public safety officer to patrol the zone in a marked University vehicle. The hours of assignment, 6PM – 3AM, reflect the hours of the day during which the students are most at risk (based on current statistical data) of being victimized. The area includes the Irvington Avenue neighborhood, Ivy Hill, Dover Street, Center Street, and the area around Grove Park. The officer is in constant radio contact with the University’s Communications Center, acting as an additional set of eyes and ears for the South Orange Police Department. The Page 13
officer patrols the designated zone with the primary purpose of providing for the safety and well being of students, other community members as well as Village residents. The officer has been instructed not to directly intercede in any observed criminal behavior or take any “police” action but to radio observations/information to the SHU Communication Center which in turn would relay the information to the police department. The Safety Patrol is additionally charged with on-demand transportation from within the zone to campus as well as from the campus to locations within the zone. Serving as an additional transportation vehicle further ensures student safety in the immediate area around campus. This service is offered for students and staff only. However, if stopped, the Patrol will assist a resident of South Orange in any way possible. Since its inception, the Safety Patrol Zone has been well received by both University community members and local Village residents. Comments received suggest that community members and Village residents alike view the vehicle’s presence and its visibility in the neighborhoods surrounding campus to be comforting. They also believe that it may act as a deterrent to criminal activity.
Video Surveillance Expansion: Seton Hall’s Public Safety Department has begun the process of purchasing and installing equipment for the expansion and conversion of video surveillance systems from analog to digital IP. Public Safety has collaborated with the University’s IT Department in the purchase and installation of central servers and needed infrastructure improvements. When fully implemented, this system greatly increases surveillance capability both on-campus and off. The University, in another example of continuing cooperation between the University and the Village, has agreed to share the off campus video surveillance capabilities with the South Orange Police Department. As of now, the University has some cameras on the perimeter in place and images captured on these cameras have assisted the South Orange Police with the apprehension and the subsequent solving of crimes that had occurred in the Wilden Place neighborhood.
JULY 9-13 REGISTER NOW: 6th Annual Junior Police Academy to be held July 9-13 The South Orange Police Department Youth Aid Division is very proud to announce its 6th Annual Junior Police Academy. The academy is open to all South Orange/ Maplewood residents who successfully complete the 5th, 6th and 7th grade this school year. (South Orange public schools or private schools.) The Junior Police Academy is designed to show students the training and preparation that goes into the making of a new Police Officer. The objective of the Junior Police Academy is to promote an environment where the students learn the basic principles of respect, discipline, drug and alcohol
awareness, teamwork, motivation and dedication to a "greater cause." Each student will gain a comprehensive understanding of the laws that govern our country and the legal process that protects our citizens. "Working together toward one common goal" is the theme of every academy day. The students will start the week as 24 individuals...and end the week as one team. Each child will see many police officers from the South Orange Police Department as well as other agencies in an up-close atmosphere emphasizing "cooperation" as the various agencies demonstrate their expertise.
This year, the Junior Police Academy will be held from Monday July 9 through Friday July 13. Space for this year's academy is limited to a maximum of 24 students. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. The fee for each student will be $75.00. Additional questions should be directed to Detective Mark Garrett, 973-763-3000 extension 7789. To download the application form, visit the South Orange PBA website at http:// southorangepba.com.
Main Street South Orange announces new “Business Watch” As a result of interest on the part of South Orange business owners, Main Street South Orange (MSSO) is organizing a Business Watch program in conjunction with the South Orange Police Department and Village Neighborhood Watch Program. The purpose of this program is to provide a notification system or chain for businesses to be able to communicate with each other and become more aware of activities in the business district, and in turn, reduce crime.
Another goal is to convey, simply and quickly, crime and safety-related information between businesses and the SOPD. The system may be used either for emergency information or other important information relevant to the business community. Potential uses of this program include alerting others to suspicious activities or persons, strange behavior of a customer, theft, violence of any kind, and defacement of town or private property. This watch program does not replace calling 911. In an emergency, or if you see a crime in progress or feel threatened in any way, always call 911.
The benefits of Business Watch are much like Neighborhood Watch. There will be a designated director who receives information and will relay that message to the group via text message and/or email. In order for this format to work, MSSO needs the participation of the the business community. If you are a business owner, please email businesswatch.sonj@gmail.com to learn more, to provide your contact information and convey how you wish to receive information. You may also contact MSSO at director@mainstreetsouthorange.org.
Numbers to Know Village Hall (973) 378-7715
Police Department (973) 763-3000
Fire Department (973) 378-7751
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Rescue Squad (973) 762-5647
Public Works (973) 378-7741