Full Notification

The Township of Denville, including the Police Department, Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department and Department of Public Works have begun to prepare for the eventual arrival of Hurricane Irene which is currently projected to hit the New Jersey area sometime this Sunday, August 28, 2011.

Meteorologists are calling this hurricane one of the most significant weather events to hit the east coast of the United States in decades. They are recommending that people begin taking action immediately to prepare for significant damage caused by high wind and flooding rain.

The Township of Denville encourages residents to begin taking steps immediately to prepare for a significant weather event. Flooding, although a somewhat common event in Denville, has the potential to have aggravated effects if residents lose power for a length of time and/or have to leave their homes. The loss of power may prevent residents from operating pumps and other electrical items in their home.

Residents should ensure that they have the following items at a minimum:

1. Battery operated flashlights
2. Battery operated radio
3. Extra batteries
4. Fresh drinking water (water bottles)
5. Cell phones charged
6. A “Go Bag” prepared with necessary items (clean clothes, medicine, water, etc) in the event you have to quickly leave your residence.
7. Vehicle filled with gasoline
8. If you have a generator or pump, make sure it is in working order.
Additionally, residents should begin taking in outdoor furniture, umbrellas and any other items that may be damaged by the storm.

The Denville Police Department and Office of Emergency Management will closely monitor this situation and update residents as necessary. Residents are encouraged to sign up to receive “NIXLE” messages by visiting the Denville Police Department website at www.denvillepolice.org and clicking on the NIXLE box at the top right of the homepage. Nixle is a web based notification system that allows us to immediately send emergency information via text messages and email to cell phones, computers and smart phones. We will also utilize the Reverse 9-1-1 telephone system for emergencies; however, that system may become overloaded if the entire county suffers damages. There is no need to subscribe to Reverse 9-1-1 as your home telephone number is automatically added to the data base. The Reverse 9-1-1 system does not utilize any cell phone data base and therefore will not make notification to residents on cell phone numbers.

Residents may also want to click on the following link to the State of New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management website for additional information on emergency preparedness. The website address is: http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/kit-plan.html

In the event of an emergency during the storm, residents should call 9-1-1. For all other inquiries or to report property damage, please contact the Police Department at 973-627-4900 and dial ext. 9 to speak with a emergency dispatcher.