Senate Assistant Majority Leader John A. Girgenti (D-35) of Hawthorne released the following statement today regarding the state and local response to Hurricane Irene:
“I would like to commend the response to Hurricane Irene by all levels of government and local first responders. Having participated in several conference calls with Governor Christie and members of his Cabinet, I know that our state government executed a well thought-out and coordinated plan, which began days before the hurricane hit New Jersey. The chain of command structure – local to county to state – was integral to this effort. Evacuations of the coastal areas and in some of our other Cities and municipalities no doubt were decisions that saved many lives.”
“Our emergency management teams and local police, firefighters, and first aid responders were on call 24/7 throughout the weekend and risked their own lives to save ours during the worst parts of the storm. They deserve our thanks and gratitude many times over.”
“While there is damage now and after-effects such as flooding still to come, there is no question that Hurricane Irene would have wrought a much more destructive path if not for our coordinated preparation and action, and the dedication of our local first responders.”