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Officials report storm surge in calls; township orders review of emergency notifications
Summary
After a July 3 storm that produced 70+ mph gusts, the Wall Township Police Department reported a surge in emergency calls and multiple outages; the committee asked the administrator to review the township's emergency notification system and related procedures.
Wall Township officials on July 14 described significant operational strain and infrastructure impacts from a July 3 severe storm and directed an administrative review of emergency notification and response procedures.
The police chief told the committee that the storm produced widespread straight-line wind damage, reported wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour and doubled the normal summer-weekend call volume. "From Friday night through Saturday, the Wall Township Police Department responded to 474 calls for service, compared to a typical summer weekend volume of just over 200," the chief said. He also reported 135 fire-department requests related to the storm, 73 incidents involving downed wires and several roadway closures.
The chief recognized Patrolman Wheeler for entering an apartment complex near Route 18 in Neptune City and evacuating residents before other emergency personnel arrived; a written commendation from the police chief was entered into the record.
Committeeman Clayton said the recent sequence of incidents revealed areas for improvement and asked the administrator to conduct a comprehensive review of administrative operations, including the emergency notification system, road-closure and traffic management procedures, administrative policies and technology. "As a result, I've met and asked the administrator to conduct a comprehensive review of our administrative operations to include evaluating our emergency notification system ... We will have recommendations to the township committee in August," Committeeman Clayton said.
The chief also reported results from a multi-agency auto-theft investigation led by the New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Task Force and the state attorney general's office that resulted in 63 arrests connected to organized auto theft rings, and recognized Patrolman James Giannazzone for his contributions to that investigation.
What happens next: the administrator will return recommendations in August on notification upgrades and other operational changes. The committee also recorded a vote to enter executive session at the meeting's close to discuss litigation, personnel and contract matters.
