Last week, Councilwoman Willie Flood introduced a resolution at the City Council meeting requesting that Mayor Jerremiah Healy conduct a complete review of the city’s emergency response preparedness to find any gaps.
Flood grew up in Mobile, Ala., on the Gulf Coast, and still has family there.
“It would be unconscionable if a terrorist attack or a natural disaster struck our city and we were not prepared to offer people help immediately,” said Flood. “If there are holes in our emergency response system, we need to start filling them now. We need to know what the state will do and what the federal government can realistically do.”
Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, who co-sponsored the resolution, said Jersey City shares some similarities with New Orleans that could pose problems in the case of a disaster. In particular, the city has “a large minority population, many of whom do not own cars and cannot evacuate themselves without help.”
“Hurricane Katrina was a wakeup call for all of us,” said Fulop. “We owe it to the people we represent to review the effectiveness of our disaster response capabilities and to improve them if necessary.”
Steven McGill, head of the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management responsible for overseeing the city’s emergency response system, said that he welcomes any review of the system.
“I was asked to appear at the next [City Council] caucus meeting to explain how our emergency system works,” said McGill. “This is an opportunity to let more know people know how is Jersey City is prepared to handle an emergency.”
The resolution calls for a review of plans to evacuate the city in case of disaster, plans by law enforcement to maintain order, a system to provide residents with basic necessities, coordinated response among emergency response units, and evaluating likely threats and counter measures.Where are the families?
There was speculation last week that city officials were looking to temporarily house Hurricane Katrina victims in St. Francis’ Hospital near Hamilton Park, but that the idea was rejected.
Joan Quigley, spokesperson for the Bon Secours Health System (current owners of St. Francis) said last week the hospital will be sold to local developers Eric and Paul Silverman by the end of this month, and as part of the contract to sell, the building must remain empty. After the sale, it is at the discretion of the new owners if they want to allow people in the building.
But there are families relocating to this area nonetheless. Joan Bellofatto, spokesperson for the Bergen-Hudson Chapter of the Red Cross, said that 90 families affected by Hurricane Katrina have been processed at chapter’s offices in Jersey City and Hackensack. “About 80 percent of these families have relatives up here with whom they are staying,” she said, “but we are still encouraging them to come to the Red Cross, where we provide them with clothing vouchers, filling their prescriptions and mental health services.” Family there
Councilwoman Flood’s thoughts last week were not far away from her own hometown of Mobile, Ala., which suffered considerable damage from Hurricane Katrina. Her son John A. Smith and his family, along with two of her brothers, resided there.
“His house was destroyed, and the hospital where he worked in Mobile merged with another hospital,” said Flood. “My brothers’ homes were not damaged as badly, but it’s going to be a long time before things get back to normal.” Flood continued, “When I watch TV and see the damage, I still can’t believe that it was Category 5 hurricane.
Those families are going to need psychological care, and my heart goes out to them.” She said her husband tries to talk her out of watching all the coverage.
Flood hopes that her son and his family will move up to Jersey City if they are not able to find a new home. She also looks forward to making a trip down to Mobile in the near future, seeing it as an obligation. Sister city
Meanwhile, a town called Lake Charles, La., may be a thousand of miles away from Jersey City, but the two municipalities have moved closer last week. Healy announced on Sept. 9 that he signed an Executive Order that will make Lake Charles a “sister city.”
This is part of a city-led effort known as Operation Big Brother where donated items were collected at fire stations and will be trucked down to Lake Charles once an entire tractor trailer is filled.
Lake Charles lies between New Orleans and Houston, Tex. Jersey City officials had been notified by Lake Charles city officials that the city’s population had increased by nearly 20,000 as the result of residents evacuating from New Orleans and other towns.
The items transported include school uniforms, canned goods, and first aid kits.
Mayor Healy said Operation Big Brother was an opportunity to get through the bureaucratic roadblocks that have hindered efforts by organizations and individuals across the United States from delivering needed services.
“We have a take-action community where we don’t tolerate just sitting on the sidelines,” said Healy. “You saw it on 9-11 where [Jersey City] became the lifeline to lower Manhattan with goods, supplies, and manpower, and we are the center spoke in the wheel of the county’s mutual aid agreements. So we are used to pitching in and doing what must be done to help those in a crisis.”
Officials from Jersey City have been in touch in recent weeks with Lake Charles mayor Randy Roach and other officials.
“This has been a massive undertaking, and we are stretched pretty thin with our resources,” said Roach to city officials on Friday, as quoted in a press release. “We’re encountering things and all kinds of issues, physical health, and mental health issues for entire families.”
Lori Marinovich, Lake Charles city planner and coordinator of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, told Jersey City officials that 600 new grade school and high school students have enrolled in their school system.
One resident informed city officials that as early last week, “…our credit card machines don’t work, our phones [especially cell phones] stay ‘off line’ more than in service. Banks, grocery, discount and drug store lines are long, very long. Armed officers are stationed at the front door of most major stores and buildings….” Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com Sidebar Upcoming Katrina events and related items
Salsa Dance Relief 2005 will take place on Sept. 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Gallery Nightclub, 364 Luis Munoz Marin Blvd., Jersey City. $15 admission; All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross in relief of Hurricane Katrina. Additional donations will also be accepted at the event. Checks should be made out to “American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund,” and “Katrina” should be written in the memo field. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. and feature musical artists from the New York-New Jersey area including Caribbean Soul Dancers, Piel Canela Dancers, Taima y las Hijas del Trueno, and the Vittico ‘La Magia’ Dancers. For more information check http://www.salsanewyorkcom/calendar.htm.
Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson, through her civic association, has created a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Anyone can make checks payable to VS Richardson CAOC, Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, P.O. Box 15474, Jersey City, NJ 07305. – RK