Emergency Management

Office of Emergency Management

OEM Coordinator
Steve Davenport
862-214-4554
sdavenport@chathamborough.org

Senior Deputy OEM Coordinator
Sam Francis
973-417-3042
sfrancis@chathamborough.org

Chatham Emergency Squad

Office of Emergency Management Documents

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is responsible for providing Chatham Borough with mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and coordination for large-scale emergencies, both natural and human-caused, for the purpose of saving lives and preventing property damage.

Smart 911–Be prepared for any emergency by giving public safety the information they need to better help and communicate with you.

Register for Smart 911 notifications

FEMA

Be Prepared for Severe Weather

Hurricane season officially arrived June 1. NJ Board of Public Utilities offers these tips for severe weather forecasts:

- Charge your phone and electrical devices in case of power outages.

- If an outage occurs, contact your utility right away; don't assume someone else will make the call.

- Treat all downed power lines as live. Stay away from them.

- Call 9-1-1 for fallen tree branches and downed live wires.

More safety information:

— Red Cross water safety tips

— Summer safety tips from the Sheriff's Office

— Preparedness resource links from Office of Emergency Management

— Sign up for emergency alerts through AlertMorris

Mitigation

Mitigation activities are those that lessen the undesirable effects of unavoidable hazards. Examples include public-education programs, the establishment of building codes, flood-plain management, pruning tree branches that overhang power lines, and taking down trees in danger of falling.

Chatham Borough collaborates with Morris County’s Office of Emergency Management to maintain the County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The current update effort is described here
The current Hazard Mitigation Plan for Morris County can be seen here
Chatham Borough owns Section 9.5 of that plan, which can be seen here
To contribute your thoughts to updating that plan, fill out the citizen survey

Preparedness

OEM is responsible for writing and updating Chatham Borough’s Emergency Operations Plan, outlining the functions and responsibilities of all Borough departments and agencies during emergencies or disasters. In addition, OEM executes preparedness exercises to enhance readiness. These exercises simulate emergencies involving all first-responder agencies and all levels of government, allowing challenges to be addressed before a real emergency occurs.

Response

During a large emergency, OEM provides overall coordination for Borough-wide response efforts. Such coordination may involve the activation of the Emergency Operations Center at Borough Hall, where centralized coordination is managed by representatives from Borough departments and partner agencies. These representatives facilitate resource coordination, mutual aid, and policy decisions.

Recovery

After an emergency, OEM assists in the coordination of both short-term and long-term recovery functions. Short-term recovery efforts begin immediately following an emergency, as the Borough works to restore basic services and functions. Long-term recovery involves restoring economic activity and rebuilding the community’s quality of life.