Many experts in the field of psychology and the emergency services have long realized that the stress of a disaster can have long-lasting effects on the emotional well-being of the witnesses or those who have lost loved ones or property in the natural or man-made event.
The Bergen County Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the Bergen County Mental Health Board, the community mental health centers, hospitals and other social service providers developed a model for a unified response to meet the needs of residents and visitors who may be affected by an emotionally traumatic event.
This plan was designed for large-scale events where a County or State wide emergency declaration was necessary. However, the plan has been activated for more local events. The professionals, drawn from mental health centers, the Screening Program (262-HELP) and hospitals have assisted schools, community organizations and municipalities with the challenges of coping with the aftermath of a significant event. BACK
This is an addendum to the Bergen County Emergency Operations Plan that addresses the potential of persons to become lost in large park while hiking or other times where person(s) may be injured while hiking, fishing etc. . . and has not returned.
Field search and rescue is a personnel intensive operation. With the cooperation and participation of the Bergen County Department of Parks, the Bergen County Police, the fire service and New Jersey Search & Rescue (a volunteer organization) a centralized structure is available for the most coordinated, efficient and effective search operation to be conducted.
The participants in field search and rescue are highly trained and experienced personnel who volunteer to help others in need. BACK
Bergen County's emergency medical system is a unique and resource-rich environment. Within the County there are 66 paid, volunteer and part-paid basic life support (BLS ambulance) organizations that service the 70 municipalities. Additionally, there are 5 hospital-based, career, advanced life support (ALS paramedics) units within Bergen County that are part of the Mobile Intensive Care Consortium. These paramedic units are dispatched through MIC-COM.
Bergen County established a Countywide Mobilization Committee in 1992 to address the needs and coordination of incidents where large numbers of ambulances and paramedics were needed. This volunteer committee has representation from the 4 New Jersey State First Aid Council districts, the hospitals, police, and volunteer ambulance corps that are not represented by the New Jersey State First Aid Council.
The mobilization committee developed significant changes in the mobilization of ambulances to better meet the needs of the residents and visitors to Bergen County. As part of the committee's work, a State grant was received in 1999 to furnish incident management equipment to all municipal ambulance and paramedic services. BACK