Senator Praises NJ Response To Hurricane

New Jersey State Senator Kevin O’Toole, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement regarding New Jersey's response to hurricane Irene:

“New Jersey’s response to Hurricane Irene is a textbook example of government and citizens working together to reach a common goal.  The cooperation between agencies, citizens and several layers of government is praiseworthy and saved lives. The Governor and his team also provided constant updates to local and state officials across the state enabling the local OEM and first responders to deal with this event more effectively.

           

“Governor Christie’s leadership in this emergency is an example of how to deal with a natural disaster.  The Governor and his team, Colonel Fuentes the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, General Rieth the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Charles B. McKenna the Director of the New Jersey State Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and local officials made sensible decisions based the most current information. The hands-on approach of Governor Christie and his team, led to the nearly flawless execution of dealing with this catastrophe and served as a model to all states along the Eastern Seaboard.

“The residents of New Jersey must also be commended.  When the governor asked them to evacuate coastal areas that would be most impacted by the storm, they left without delay.  The timely evacuation of nearly one million people allowed state and local officials the opportunity to more effectively deal with the consequences of the storm, without disruption.

“There are still areas, especially here in Northern New Jersey that are dealing with flood water left by Irene. I expect the response to the aftermath will be handled in the same professional and competent manner as the initial response to the hurricane.  The government’s response to this event is a prime example of the very best our government can accomplish.  Daily government functions should be run just as effectively and efficiently moving forward.”