Residents,

I participated in two conference calls today, one with County OEM and the other with Mayors and JCP&L representatives.

JCP&L advised their Global Estimated Restoration Time of 11:00PM on August 11th Is the time they believe they will restore power to 95% of their customers throughout the entire State.  They indicated Morris County is one of the three hardest hit counties by the storm and they anticipate 85% of the customers in our area to have power restored by midnight tomorrow night. This morning we had 3,110 customers without power and as of this posting we now have 1,964 customers without power.

We have received several phone calls and emails from residents asking about their specific neighborhoods and why one area as opposed to another has been restored.  While we make every effort to push JCP&L crews into our neighborhoods to repair affected areas, they receive their orders from priority dispatch centers and have to respond to the areas they are dispatched.  The Police Department has no control over their dispatch procedures or their response protocols.  We are making every effort possible to dictate their response to our town, we’re making progress daily, slower than we would like, but progress nonetheless. 

Tomorrow we will open the charging station, under the pavilion, from 9:00AM until 8:00PM for Florham Park residents to charge their devices.

JCP&L has indicated they will provide free ice and water to customers at several locations which can be found at this link:

https://firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/storm_info/water-ice.html

I implore residents to please be careful utilizing generators when powering your homes.  Generators must never be inside your home during operation, as they will cause Carbon Monoxide infiltration.  Generators must always be operating in open-air environments.  Furthermore, proper installation of generators is critical as an unfortunate accident occurred today resulting in the total loss of a residence due to fire from what appears to be an improperly installed or utilized generator.  

Please check in on your elderly neighbors and family members.

Be safe!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
August 6, 2020

Residents,

I hope everyone is holding up. The Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management have been working closely with the County OEM and JCP&L, as well as their Tree Contractors, to clear as many of our roadways as possible. There are still several areas of the Borough with significant tree, utility pole and electrical infrastructure damage and all wires should be considered live and dangerous.

Today, we were able to clear Brooklake Road and get power restored to the main line from Ridgedale to Sherbrooke. Ridgedale Avenue was cleared of trees, debris and downed utilities to allow traffic flow in both directions. A large tree and downed utilities were cleared from Hancock Drive granting emergency services access to an area previously isolated, as well as Old Mill Road. All areas of Townsend Drive are accessible to emergency services at this time. The Ridgedale School side of Townsend is accessible only up to Hancock Drive, all other areas of Townsend, Kenwood and Old Mill must be accessed through the American Legion side of Townsend.

Tree crews are currently working on removing several trees from the intersection of Briarwood Road and Cathedral Avenue all the way up to Brooklake Road. Once the trees have been removed all the utility poles along Cathedral, from Briarwood Road to Brooklake Road will need to be replaced. The tree work will not be completed tonight and will resume tomorrow morning. The utility poles will be replaced after that. The area of five corners (Rockwood, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Woods End and Cathedral) has significant tree, utility pole and electrical infrastructure damage. The same type of work being done along Cathedral from Briarwood to Brooklake will most likely need to be done at five corners. Residents need to be prepared for prolonged power outages. These areas, along with our sewage plant and pump houses are all on JCP&L’s critical list and considered priorities.

I have asked all of you to work together and assist our Department through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic since March, unfortunately I must ask for your patience and cooperation again as we work with our utility providers to accomplish as much success as possible on daily basis moving forward. This will be a multi-day event.

Please report all of your power outages to JCP&L directly at 1-888-544-4877. Please check in on elderly family members and neighbors. Report any issues to the Police Department immediately.

Residents should also check all of their fire and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries to ensure they are working properly. Except for the newer alarms that do not require battery changes, alarms typically last for up to five years before they need to be replaced. Please take the time to check these, especially the CO alarms with generators running near houses.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
August 5, 2020

Residents,

We continue to work with JCP&L and the Florham Park DPW to make our roadways safe from emergent hazards.  However, at the time of this posting, the following roads continue to be completely closed due downed trees and/or live electrical wires:

• Brooklake Road between Country Club Lane and the Brooklake Country Club Entrance (#139)
• Ridgedale Avenue between Greenwood Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard
• Cathedral Avenue between Briarwood Road and Rockwood Road
• Intersection of Lincoln Avenue/Rockwood Road/Roosevelt Boulevard/Woods End Road
• Townsend Drive and streets within (Old Mill Road, Hancock Drive, Kenwood Lane) at various points
  
• Crescent Road between Columbia Turnpike and Kenneth Court
  
• Rockwood Road between East Madison Avenue and Riverside Drive near #44
• Murphy Circle near #47
• Shetland Road near #2
• Crane Lane near #9

Residents,

There are several areas of the Borough with trees down and live wires across the roadways.  While it currently looks beautiful outside, it is still very dangerous for residents to be out in public.  Trees are still falling, one of which landed on one of our patrol vehicles.  Thankfully, the officer was out of the vehicle deploying Detour signs at the time; however, this highlights the dangers of being out in the public at this time.

Residents should expect several road closures tonight and throughout the day tomorrow as JCP&L attempts to repair damaged poles and lines throughout the County.  Several areas of the Borough are not accessible to emergency services at this time and we have been in contact with County OEM and our JCP&L contacts to expedite their response to those areas.  

If you are currently experiencing a power outage, please contact JCP&L to report the same at 1-888-544-4877.  The more outages reported the better equipped they are to respond.

Residents, who rely on power to operate oxygen machines, or other medically necessary devices, should contact the police desk immediately, at 973-377-2206 or email OEM@fppd.net.

Please remain in your homes unless absolutely necessary and telephonically check in on elderly family and/or neighbors.

Be Safe!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
August 4, 2020

Residents,

Please read this post in its entirety, as there is important information regarding tightening of Covid-19 related restrictions as well as weather related information for your safety.  The State has reported a continuous increase in the infection rate, which has prompted a tightening on gathering restrictions.  

The Governor has issued four (4) new Executive Orders in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic.  A brief synopsis is as follows:

• Executive Order 170 – Extended certain statutory deadlines for State purposes.
• Executive Order 171 – Extended the Declared Public Health Emergency for an additional thirty (30) days.  The Declared State of Emergency is still in effect and this Public Health Emergency Extension does not affect the Declared State of Emergency.  Remember there is no curfew or travel restrictions within the State.
• Executive Order 172 – Allows newly hired State, County or Municipal workers to immediately enroll in the State Health Benefits Plan without having to wait the normal ninety (90) days.  The Order also applies to current employees who were furloughed and did not maintain coverage during their furlough or purchase COBRA during that time.
• Executive Order 173 – Rescinds portions of Executive Order 156 regarding the number of people allowed to gather at indoor gatherings.  The total number of people allowed to gather indoors has been reduced to twenty-five percent (25%) of capacity or a maximum of twenty-five (25) persons, whichever is less.  This does not apply to weddings, funerals, religious services or political activities which remain at  twenty-five percent (25%) capacity or one hundred (100) persons whichever is less.

The Governor also issued an Executive Order regarding the impending weather related event anticipated to impact our area today.  

• Executive Order 174 – Declared a State of Emergency related to Tropical Storm Isaias.  This Declared State of Emergency allows the State OEM Coordinator, who is the Colonel of the State Police, to direct resources for the response and recovery efforts of this specific storm related damage.  This does not affect the Declared State of Emergency for the Covid-19 Pandemic.  The reason for the new Declared State of Emergency is because one Declared Emergency can not be used to direct resources for any and all State emergencies, each event requires its own specific declaration.

The Situational Awareness reports regarding the Tropical Storm indicate 2-3 inches of rain for our area throughout the day, which may lead to localized flooding of roadways.  There is a statewide tornado watch in effect and loss of power throughout the day is a strong possibility.  Wind gusts are estimated to reach between 40 and 70 MPH.  

Please limit travel today to only that which is necessary, as conditions are expected to be hazardous.  Check in on elderly family and neighbors and report any issues to the Police Department immediately.

Everyone please be safe!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
August 4, 2020

A Statement from the Morris County Chiefs of Police Association https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0PhLHzBK?pd=05w4InPJ&s=i4

Residents,

Last night residents in the Murphy Circle section of the Borough were victims of motor vehicle burglaries.  All of the involved vehicles were left unlocked.  

We have been lucky as many of the surrounding towns have been victimized on a significantly larger scale on multiple occasions.  This is no doubt the result of our residents’ vigilance and the diligence of our patrols.  Please continue to ensure your vehicles and homes are locked at all times and that valuables, as well as key fobs are never left in your vehicle.

Our officers are patrolling every street in the Borough 24 hours a day, however we need our residents to be force multipliers.  Please report any suspicious vehicles or persons in your neighborhood, regardless of the time, to the police desk immediately. We will respond to every call for service!!

Be safe.

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police

Residents,

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  There have been several updates from the State in the last week and I wanted to summarize some of the pertinent information for everyone.

Travel Advisory

The travel quarantine advisory has been updated to include the following 22 States:

• Alabama (added 6/24/20)
• Arkansas (added 6/24/20)
• Arizona (added 6/24/20)
• California (added 6/30/20)
• Florida (added 6/24/20)
• Georgia (added 6/30/20)
• Iowa (added 6/30/20)
• Idaho (added 6/30/20)
• Kansas (added 7/7/20)
• Louisiana (added 6/30/20)
• Minnesota (added 7/14/20)
• Mississippi (added 6/30/20)
• North Carolina (added 6/24/20)
• Nevada (added 6/30/20)
• New Mexico (added 7/14/20)
• Ohio (added 7/14/20)
• Oklahoma (added 7/7/20)
• South Carolina (added 6/24/20)
• Tennessee (added 6/30/20)
• Texas (added 6/24/20)
• Utah (added 6/24/20)
• Wisconsin (added 7/14/20)

Youth Sports

Drills and practices for sports considered high-risk for the spread of the coronavirus were authorized to resume as of yesterday, as long as they are held at outdoor venues.

Executive Orders

The following Executive Orders have been signed into effect:

• Executive Order 164, which postpones municipal and county party committee elections until 11/3/2020.
• Executive Order 165, which restored maximum capacity on NJ Transit and other carriers with appropriate distancing and mandatory mask wearing as required by EO 163.  
• Executive Order 166, which established the Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office (GDRO).
• Executive Order 167, which ordered all Flags to fly at Half Staff in remembrance of Representative John Lewis.

Motor Vehicle Commission

The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has released the following information to assist residents, please read carefully if you require services from the MVC.

 -What is MVC doing about the long lines? 

Governor Murphy has exempted MVC employees from furlough starting Monday, July 13, enabling MVC to add staff at agencies and implemented the following changes:

1. Each morning, we will establish the total number of customers that each agency can serve that day, based on that agency’s size, staffing, and previous day’s performance. Tickets will be given out up to that number, then remaining customers will be required to disperse. As soon as capacity is met, we will publish on our website and social media. 
2. People will not be allowed to queue up on MVC property after capacity is reached until the next morning at 7:00 AM. 
3. New drivers will be given preference at Licensing Centers. When staff go out to distribute tickets, the first tickets will be given to those who have completed requirements for a new permit or license. Already-licensed drivers (who will be able to drive under the extension) will be served after all new drivers have been served. 

-Was my expiration date extended? 

The following documents, if expiring between Mar 1 and May 31, have been extended to September 30. 

If expiring between June 1 and August 31, they have been extended to December 31. 

• All standard driver licenses (including permits) 
• Standard non-driver IDs 
• Vehicle registrations 
• Inspections 
• Temporary tags 

-What are “Licensing Centers” and “Vehicle Centers”? 

In order to maintain social distancing, some agencies have been designated as Licensing Centers and some as Vehicle Centers. 

In Vehicle Centers, we are processing vehicle transactions only: 

• Registration/title transfers for private sales 
• New registrations/titles, individual and in bulk. 
• Salvage titles. 
• License plate transactions. 
• No renewals for unexpired registrations. Those can be done online at NJMVC.gov. 
• No license transactions. 

In Licensing Centers, we are processing license transactions only: 

• First-time licenses and permits (REAL ID will be an option). 
• Out-of-state transfers. 
• Expired CDLs, TVRs (temporary visa restricted licenses), and any other expired licenses not eligible for online renewal. 
• REAL ID, only if:
• You have a scheduled appointment; or 
• You have an email verifying your appointment was cancelled; or 
• You are due for renewal of your standard license. 
• No other REAL ID walk-ins will be allowed. 
• No driver knowledge tests are available at this time. 
• No renewals, replacements, or changes of address for unexpired licenses/IDs. Those can be done online at NJMVC.gov. 
• No vehicle transactions: no registration or title work. 

Everyone who enters the MVC agency will be required to wear a face covering. If a customer cannot wear a face covering, MVC will make other arrangements for their transaction. 

Please stay safe and well, try to enjoy the summer!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
July 21, 2020

Residents,

I hope everyone was able to enjoy the Holiday weekend!!  I wanted to take some time before providing this update to allow everyone to take a breath and absorb all of the information streaming from the State. Four Executive Orders were issued last week which I will detail briefly below:

Executive Order 159 extending statutory deadlines within the State as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Executive Order 160 required all American Flags to be raised and resume Full Staff indefinitely after having been lowered to half staff for three months to honor the lives lost to Covid-19.

Executive Order 161 authorized the outdoor gathering of people to increase to 500 effective July 3rd at 6:00am.

Executive Order 162 extended the public health emergency an additional 30 days as required by law in order for all existing Executive Orders to remain in effect.

The Governor reported today the infection rate within the State has seen a slight increase.  This could possibly be an anomaly from the Holiday weekend or it could be from the increased interaction between residents.  In any event, if the numbers continue to increase residents should expect to see a pullback from the State on loosening of restrictions and quite possibly reinstatement of some.  Please be responsible and help prevent that from happening.

The Police Department has been receiving several complaints regarding violations of Executive Orders by local businesses.  Please be aware that any complaint is first forwarded to the Health Department for investigation and education.  If the Health Department determines the business is in fact allowed to be operating under current Executive Orders they notify the Police Department and we follow up on any additional complaints for enforcement, which must be authorized by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.  The complaints are all being followed up on, however it is a lengthy process.

Lastly, tomorrow is Primary Election Day.  There will only be one polling station open in conformance with the Governor's Executive Orders.  The polling station will be located at the Florham Park Community Center/Recreation Building.  All registered voters were supposed to receive mail in ballots in accordance with Executive Order 144.  If you plan to vote utilizing your mail in ballot it must be postmarked by 8:00pm tomorrow night.

Stay safe and well!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police/Deputy OEM Coordinator
July 6, 2020