Dear Editor:
Hurricanes are powerful, dangerous and still quite unpredictable despite our modern technology. Government, which often over-reaches in many matters, did not overreact in the Hurricane Irene emergency. A lot of borderline decisions had to be made.
They made the right calls. Locally in Hoboken, starting with the mayor’s office right down to the general public, the teamwork was outstanding. Police, Fire, OEM, CERT, EMS, all city departments, Hoboken Board of Education, NJ national guard, N.J. Transit, PSE&G, volunteers from the public and Stevens Tech students formed a team that helped save life and limited property damage as much as possible. Residents and local businesses also supported by donating food to citizens and workers. The formal and social news media provided pertinent information and warnings.
I was honored to serve as a volunteer member of C.E.R.T.[Community Emergency Response Team] and have the opportunity to interact with the above personnel and work side-by-side with city directors in hands-on operations. Hoboken, as well as other communities, prevailed as much as they could because they had many “boots on the ground.”
Richard Tremitiedi
Former Hoboken Fire Chief