State
of New Jersey
Executive
Order #53
Governor James
E. McGreevey
WHEREAS, the people
of the State of New Jersey rely upon the courageous men and women of the
fire departments of this State to protect them from the pervasive danger
presented by fire and other emergencies; and
WHEREAS, the State
of New Jersey has a compelling interest in guaranteeing that the fire
departments of the State, both career and volunteer, are adequately trained
and equipped to respond to catastrophic damage and loss; and
WHEREAS, the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001 have demonstrated the need for greater cooperation
and superior channels of communication between municipal fire departments
and State, county and federal agencies to ensure the ability of the State's
fire departments to respond to a catastrophic event or terrorist attack;
and
WHEREAS, the fire
departments of this State could benefit from more efficient, more economical,
and safety sensitive training; and
WHEREAS, the fire
departments of the State of New Jersey could benefit from group purchasing;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, JAMES E. McGREEVEY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue
of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes
of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
- There is hereby
established the Governor's Fire Service and Safety Task Force, hereinafter
referred to as the Task Force.
- The members of
the Task Force shall consist of:
- The Commissioner
of the Department of Community Affairs, or her
designee
- The Attorney
General, or his designee
- The Director
of the Division of Fire Safety
- The President
of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, or his
designee
- The President
of the New Jersey Firemen's Benevolent Association, or his designee
- The President
of the New Jersey Association of Fire Districts, or his designee
- The President
of the New Jersey State Fire Chiefs Association, or his designee
- The President
of the New Jersey State Association of County Fire Marshals, or
his designee
- The President
of the Professional Fire Chiefs Association, or his designee
- The President
of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association, or his designee
- The President
of the League of Municipalities, or his designee
- The Chairperson
of the Task Force shall be the Director of the Division of Fire Safety.
- The purpose of
the Task Force will be to examine how fire departments can foster greater
cooperation and improve interdepartmental communication with the state,
county and federal agencies in order to respond to a major disaster,
to examine the current delivery of fire protection and the operational
readiness of New Jersey's Fire Service, and to develop and recommend
a Statewide plan to affect a more efficient, more economical, and safety
sensitive operation.
- Specifically,
the Task Force will study the following aspects of fire
department performance:
- Interdepartmental
communication
- Major emergency
response
- Training
- The Task Force
will consider making recommendations with regard to potential remedies,
including:
- Interdepartmental
training exercises to prepare for major emergency response
- Group purchasing
- Methods and
technology to improve interdepartmental communication
- Departmental
efficiency studies
- The Task Force
may request assistance from any department, division, office or agency
of the State. Any department, division, office or agency of the State
is hereby required to cooperate with the Council and furnish it with
information and personnel assistance to the extent necessary to achieve
the goals of this Order.
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GIVEN, under
my hand and seal this
day of in the Year of Our Lord, Two
Thousand and Three, and of the
Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-Seventh.
/s/ James
E. McGreevey
Governor
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[seal]
Attest:
/s/ Michael R. DeCotiis
Chief Counsel to
the Governor
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