Officials came together on April 29 to discuss emergency preparedness and response and answered questions about evacuation plans in flood-prone areas along the Delaware River and its tributaries: the Pompeston, Rancocas and Pennsauken creeks.
“Most people don’t think about emergency management until something goes wrong,” said Cinnaminson Office of Emergency (OEM) Director Danny Norman to the nearly 40 residents attending the Emergency Services Forum at the township municipal building.
The forum’s goal is to learn about emergency preparedness and response and see how it all ties in, explained Norman, adding that OEMs “came into existence during World War II in case of air strikes. Now every state, county and town has an OEM.”
Over time, OEMs have responded to natural disasters and health emergencies, he added.
“We just came out of that with COVID.”
In case of a big fire, “OEM is called in to coordinate with the incident commander and provide support,” Norman explained. After any disaster, such as a major storm, “we do a damage assessment and work with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to see if any aid is available.
“The final step is mitigation, aimed at reducing future risk from natural and non-natural disasters.”
The worst-case scenario is when “phones overload, roads are closed and the power goes out,” stated Norman, quoting Palmyra OEM Director Ronald J. Lindemuth, who was in the audience. “The best emergencies are the ones that never make the headlines because we handled it efficiently.”
Township Fire Chief Philip Drangula welcomed everyone to the first collaborative emergency services forum. One of the main focuses of the fire department is rescuing people in a disaster.
“When a building comes down, we have to rescue individuals,” he noted. “We have to be proficient in these critical search-and-rescue skills.”
One of the fire department’s specialties is water rescue. On Jan. 9 and 10 of 2024, a huge storm with record-breaking high winds and heavy rains caused tremendous flooding. Cinnaminson emergency personnel successfully rescued residents from three homes that were swamped with fast-flowing water.
The Delaware River rose 11.9 feet, above the major flood stage of 11.3 inches, pushing more water into its tributaries and flooding the East Riverton section of the township. The Pennsauken Creek overflowed its banks, causing severe flooding in the Extension neighborhood. In the Riverside Park section of Delran, three water rescues were also executed after homes were inundated by water from the Rancocas Creek.
“We have emergency preparedness partners in Palmyra, Riverton, Riverside and Delanco,” Drangula emphasized. “We also have a partnership with the Palmyra Ambulance Association because medical aid is so important in a disaster.”
During the question-and-answer session at the forum, a group of East Riverton residents said there were problems getting out of their neighborhood during the flooding because only a few streets exit onto River Road.
“We want to be proactive about letting people know how to evacuate,” they said. “We need evacuation plans in advance.”
“It is challenging for you getting out and us getting in,” Drangula told the concerned citizens. “The primary route can get blocked. We are looking at alternative evacuation routes.”
Also at the forum were members of the Tri-Boro Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), volunteers who help the OEM and professional emergency responders in disaster situations. CERT provides training to Palmyra, Riverton and Cinnaminson residents in fire safety, light search and rescue and medical operations during a disaster.
“The Tri-Boro CERT team does a fabulous job,” Norman related. “They are always looking for members.”
The team trains at the Palmyra Fire House (Independence Fire Company.)”
“There are seven of us here,” one of the CERT members said. “We have more opportunities to help with Riverton and Palmyra. How can we help you (in Cinnaminson)?”
“We will find out where we can use CERT,” Norman answered. “I will reach out to you again.”
“When a building comes down, we have to rescue individuals,” Cinnaminson Fire Chief Philip Drangula explained. “We have to be proficient in these critical search- and-rescue skills.”
Cinnaminson Office of Emergency (OEM) Director Danny Norman.
