Message from Mayor Mahr on Hurricane Irene

Like everyone in the northeastern United States, Fanwoodians are closely watching the track of Hurricane Irene. The current forecast calls for the effects of this storm to be felt in our town beginning with rain and increasingly strong winds Saturday night with the peak winds and rain occurring Sunday morning and afternoon.

I would like to assure our citizens that I am working closely with the Police and Fire Departments, Rescue Squad, Public Works Department and Emergency Management Liason as we make plans to maximize the safety of our town and its people. We can't predict exactly what will happen, but we can make contingency plans for some likely scenarios.  Here are the areas we are focusing on:

EMERGENCY RESPONSES. The Fanwood and Union County Police are working on plans to keep 911 in service in the event of power lines or telephone lines going down. Residents are strongly urged to reserve calls to 911 ONLY FOR TRUE EMERGENCIES. Police do not have information on when power will be restored, so please don't tie up 911 lines with inquiries. Cell phones are recommended if phone lines are down, but it's possible cellular service may also be disrupted.

POWER OUTAGES. PSE&G has assured us they will have extra manpower ready to respond to power outages. However, in the event of widespread outages, it could be a while before power is restored. We recommend you keep flashlights and portable radios on hand with fresh batteries. Keep refrigerators closed as long as possible to preserve food. If you have no power and no telephone service, you are safest if you stay at home.

EVACUATIONS? It is unlikely that a mass evacuation of our citizens would be required. However, due to the unpredictability of hurricanes, we have to plan for it. The Red Cross is setting up an evacuation center at a place nearby to be announced. Initial plans call for evacuees to get to the Chelsea assisted living residence on South Avenue or Forest Road Park where transportation to the evacuation center will be provided. In the event of an evacuation, citizens will be notified by emergency personnel.

COMMUNICATIONS. We plan to provide regular updates via the Borough website,www.fanwoodnj.org, and via Community Television, Comcast channel 35 and Fios channel 24. If the power goes out, important messages will be delivered via emergency vehicles through a public address system or door-to-door.

I would ask all our citizens to remain calm, stay informed and help your neighbors, especially the very old and the very young. We'll get through this together.