Manalapan Teen CERT to Help in Emergency Drill Evacuations

Emergency vehicles will be stationed in various Monmouth towns this Thursday for a county exercise involving long-term-care facility evacuations and the Manalapan Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will be on hand at several sites.

From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 19 residents in the area can expect to see emergency vehicles in the neighborhoods of The John L. Montgomery Care Center on Dutch Lane in Freehold Township. In addition, emergency vehicles will be around Monmouth County at The Willows at Holmdel, Geraldine Thompson Care Center in Wall Township, Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation in Ocean Grove, Meridian Sub-Acute Rehabilitation in Wall, Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation in Shrewsbury.

The drill tests the emergency plans of longterm care facilities as well as the ability of the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management to coordinate evacuation and move patients along with the Manalapan Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

“This type of exercise is critical in ensuring that we can effectively and efficiently respond to crisis situations,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden in a news release, whose agency oversees the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management. “It allows us to evaluate our plans under simulated conditions so that we can identify and correct any weaknesses in our response plans before a real emergency occurs.”

Officers from each township will also be participating in the drill. For questions or concerns call the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management at (732) 431-7400.