MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS
NEWS RELEASE

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
COL John Dwyer, Public Affairs Officer 
101 EGGERT CROSSING ROAD
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ 08648
609-530-6939
RELEASE:
IMMEDIATE (5 March 2001)

 
NATIONAL GUARD PREPARES FOR WINTER STORM

FOLLOWING THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY BY ACTING GOVERNOR DONALD T. DI FRANCESCO, THE 10,000 MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD UNDER THE COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL PAUL J. GLAZAR, THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, ARE PREPARING TO RESPOND TO ANY THREAT TO THE LIVES AND SAFETY OF NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS RESULTING FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOST RECENT WINTER STORM. OVER 500 GUARD SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN WERE CALLED TO STATE ACTIVE DUTY ON MARCH 5TH TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY EMERGENCY.

WITH 32 ARMORIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND AIR UNITS AT ATLANTIC CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND MC GUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, ALL AREAS OF THE STATE ARE READILY ACCESSIBLE TO NATIONAL GUARD FACILITIES AND PERSONNEL.

FULL TIME SUPPORT PERSONNEL PROVIDE THE FIRST LINE OF RESPONSE.  ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL MAY BE CALLED UPON AS THE SCOPE AND DURATION OF THE EMERGENCY ESCALATE.

PRIMARY ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION.  THE ARMY GUARD’S 320 21/2 TON TRUCKS, 190 5 TON TRUCKS, AND MORE THAN 400 HUM V’S ARE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE FLOODED ROADWAYS AND REACH AREAS OF THE JERSEY SHORE OTHERWISE ISOLATED FROM ACCESS BY WHEELED VEHICLES.

EVEN BEFORE THE DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY, GUARD PERSONNEL WERE BUSY ENSURING THAT EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES WERE FULLY FUELED, OPERATIONAL, AND POSITIONED TO ELIMINATE ANY UNNECESSARY DELAYS IN RESPONDING TO OR PERFORMING EMERGENCY MISSIONS.

THE NATIONAL GUARD, THE ONLY MILITARY SERVICE RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATE, FUNCTIONS AS PART OF THE STATE-WIDE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS NETWORK, RESPONDING TO MISSIONS PRIORITIZED AT THE STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER (EOC) AT STATE POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN WEST TRENTON.

 ALL EMERGENCY SUPPORT MISSION REQUESTS FIRST MUST BE FORWARDED THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICES BEFORE THEY CAN BE ASSIGNED TO THE GUARD.

 GUARD INVOLVEMENT IS COORDINATED AT THE NATIONAL GUARD EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER LOCATED AT THE NEW JERSEY ARMY AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD CONSOLIDATED HEADQUARTERS ON SAYLORS POND ROAD AT FORT DIX.
 EOC PERSONNEL ASSIGN MISSIONS TO THOSE UNITS CLOSEST TO THE EMERGENCY AND BEST PREPARED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT SPECIFIC MISSION.  MISSIONS RANGE FROM EVACUATION OF CIVILIANS FROM FLOODED AREAS TO TRANSPORTATION OF DIALYSIS PATIENTS TO LOCAL HOSPITALS FOR LIFE-SAVING MEDICAL TREATMENT TO PROVIDING GASOLINE OPERATED GENERATORS TO RESTORE ELECTRICAL POWER.

 GUARD PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON NUMEROUS TIMES IN PAST YEARS TO PROTECT THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS DURING FLOODS, SNOW STORMS, FOREST FIRES, CIVIL DISTURBANCES, AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS OR CALAMITIES.
 


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