Bergen County Office of Emergency Management

Bergen County Office of Emergency Management
Name	Bergen County Office of Emergency Management
Jurisdiction	Bergen County, New Jersey
Headquarters	Hackensack, New Jersey
Chief1 position	Director
Parent agency	Bergen County, New Jersey Office of County Executive

Bergen County Office of Emergency Management is the county-level agency responsible for preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation for natural and human-caused hazards within Bergen County, New Jersey. The office operates out of Hackensack, New Jersey and coordinates with municipal emergency management coordinators, county commissioners, state agencies such as the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and federal partners including the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It supports interoperability among first responders from jurisdictions including Teaneck, New Jersey, Hackensack, New Jersey, Paramus, New Jersey, and Englewood, New Jersey.

History

The office traces its roots to local civil defense efforts modeled after Cold War era organizations such as the Civil Defense Act of 1950 and later reorganizations influenced by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and reforms following incidents like Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 attacks. Bergen County responses to events including Hurricane Sandy, the Northeast blackout of 2003, and regional public health emergencies prompted expansions in capabilities similar to reforms seen in New York City Office of Emergency Management and Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management. Legislative and administrative milestones involved coordination with the New Jersey State Police and adoption of standards aligned with the National Incident Management System and National Response Framework.

Organization and staffing

Staffing includes a director appointed within the Bergen County, New Jersey administration, deputy directors, planners, emergency management coordinators drawn from municipalities such as Ridgewood, New Jersey and Fort Lee, New Jersey, and support personnel coordinating logistics and communications with entities like the New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The office organizes volunteer liaisons from organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army (United States), Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster, and integrates with tribal, hospital, and school district partners including Hackensack University Medical Center and the Bergen County Technical Schools. It maintains relationships with elected officials from the New Jersey Legislature and county officials such as the Bergen County Executive.

Responsibilities and functions

The office develops hazard mitigation activities referenced by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, administers emergency operations centers during crises similar to the FEMA National Response Coordination Center, and maintains situational awareness through partnerships with the National Weather Service, United States Geological Survey, and public health surveillance from the New Jersey Department of Health. Functions include mass care coordination with the American Red Cross, evacuation planning with municipal police departments like Teaneck Police Department and Fort Lee Police Department, continuity of operations planning with institutions such as Pascack Valley Medical Center and Ramapo College of New Jersey, and resource request management consistent with the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. The office enforces protocols consistent with the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 and supports grant applications to agencies including Department of Homeland Security.

Emergency plans and programs

Plans cover hazards such as coastal storms like Hurricane Sandy, winter storms like those associated with Blizzard of 1996, public health outbreaks such as 2009 swine flu pandemic, and technological incidents similar to the Northeast blackout of 2003. Programs include mass vaccination site planning with partners like the New Jersey Department of Health, continuity planning for critical infrastructure owners such as PSE&G, and community preparedness initiatives tied to national programs like National Preparedness Month. The office maintains emergency operations plans consistent with standards promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and coordinates hazard mitigation planning with regional bodies including the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

Interagency coordination and mutual aid

Interagency coordination involves regular engagement with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, FEMA Region II, county sheriffs and municipal police departments, fire districts such as Oradell Volunteer Fire Department, emergency medical services like Bergen Volunteer Medical Service, and private-sector partners including utilities Public Service Enterprise Group and communications firms. The office activates mutual aid through mechanisms such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and regional task forces modeled after Urban Search and Rescue Task Force deployments. It also liaises with state agencies including the New Jersey Department of Transportation, federal partners such as the Department of Transportation (United States), and nonprofit groups like Direct Relief during large-scale incidents.

Training, exercises, and public education

Training programs are offered in incident command using the Incident Command System, National Incident Management System courses from FEMA, hazardous materials response aligned with Environmental Protection Agency guidance, and mass care training with the American Red Cross. Exercises include tabletop exercises with municipal administrators from Ridgefield, New Jersey and full-scale exercises simulating scenarios like infrastructure failure observed during the 2003 Northeast blackout. Public education campaigns mirror initiatives from Ready.gov and National Weather Service outreach, promoting household preparedness in coordination with schools such as Bergen County Academies and community centers.

Notable incidents and response operations

Notable responses include activation during Hurricane Sandy with coordination across municipal, state, and federal partners; response to severe winter storms affecting the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike corridors; mutual aid roles during regional public health responses such as the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey; and operational support during major transportation incidents near hubs like Teterboro Airport. The office participated in multi-jurisdictional recoveries following power outages comparable to the Northeast blackout of 2003 and coordinated sheltering and logistics with organizations like the American Red Cross and Salvation Army (United States) during mass displacement events.

Category:Emergency management agencies in the United States Category:Bergen County, New Jersey