Salem County Working Group

What is The County Working Group?

New Jersey is cognizant of the need to include all relevant disciplines in the process of homeland security planning. In order to include and encourage the active involvement of pertinent participants in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties, a multidiscipline working group has been established. The County Working Group (CWG) has been charged with the responsibility of creating a county homeland security strategic plan, identifying county needs, prioritizing homeland security projects and developing operational and implementation plans for each project.

Creation of a CWG was a requirement established by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (designated state administrative agency – SAA) in order to receive local share pass thru dollars under the FY2003 Homeland Security Grant Program. The CWG was initially established to facilitate the planning function in identifying county shortfalls that could be supported by their FY03 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) award to respond and mitigate a large scale emergency.

The CWG has continued to remain a requirement in order to receive local pass thru dollars of the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) and will for future grant awards. The CWG is staffed with representatives from the various disciplines of first responders and key representatives of the county government structure. The membership roster listed below is believed to reflect the core disciplines needed to effectively and intelligently discuss the issues relating to prevention, protection, mitigation and recovery/response to a terrorist attack. As needs and situations dictate, counties may add to the membership. The CWG is minimally comprised of the following:

The members of the CWG meet monthly to prioritize and develop the strategies and spending plan proposals based upon the needs and information they receive from their respective disciplines. The CWG serves as the forum for open dialogue and discussion between the various disciplines and county government. This is the group that provides the capacity for the disciplines within their respective county to respond to an act of terrorism and, more importantly, design the preventive measures to detect, delay, devalue or deny terrorists the opportunity or means to attack. Working together the members determine needs, coordinate activities, and monitor the implementation of homeland security initiatives. Regional coordinators from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness attend CWG meetings, as well as meetings of the various disciplines represented on the CWG, to provide guidance to the county, aid in the formation of grant applications, and foster regional thinking.

Members of the county working group inform their constituency groups, municipalities, and disciplines they represent of the CWG’s activities, priorities and progress and are charged with keeping the lines of communication open. They serve as the conduit of information in this “bottoms up” planning approach. Coordination, cooperation, communication, and clarity are all paramount and essential to the success, effectiveness, and efficiency of the CWG. Their collective efforts greatly contribute to our state’s enhanced level of preparedness and homeland security.

The Salem County Working Group

Current as of October 29, 2020

• Executive Director-Emergency Services/Emergency Management Coordinator – Scott Haines
• Prosecutor: John T. Lenahan
• Freeholder Director – Ben Laury
• Clerk of the Board/County Administrator – Stacy Pennington
• Treasurer – Kelly Hannigan
• Fire Marshall – John Turner
• Chief of County Detectives – Elliot Hernandez
• Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator – Jeffrey L. Pompper
• Hazmat Team Representative – Leroy Pierce
• County Medical Examiner –  Dr. Gerald Feigin
• Director, Dept. of Health –
• County Health Officer –
• Inspira – Elmer – Representatives Kim Cavallaro and Steve Cope
• Representative from the Largest Municipality – Chief Vince Green
• Representative from 2^nd Largest Municipality – Dr. Fiore Copare
• Critical Infrastructure Coordinator – Robert Bratty
• Representative for Executive County Superintendent of Schools – Joan Heil
• County Communications Director – Larry Fisher
• Counter-Terrorism Coordinator,  SCPO – Sgt. Amanda Ray-DiGregorio
• NJSP Representative –  Det. Dan Cunning
• Memorial Hospital of Salem County Representative –
• Police Chiefs Association Representative –
• Firemen’s Association & Fire Chiefs’ Assoc. Representative –  Joe Hogan
• Green Technology – Michael Peltz
• Undersheriff, Salem County Sheriff’s Office –  Warren Mabey
• Training/Operations Office OEM –  Robert DiGregorio

Alternates

• Chief, Salem County Sheriff’s Office – Doug Bell
• Inspira –Elmer –Representative – Jim Baca

Non-Voting Members

• Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness Grants Monitoring – Craig Johnson
• FOP Representative –
• Administrative Assistant OEM – Shirley Roussey

Goals and Objectives of The SCWG

GOAL I: Prevent Terrorist Attacks

• Enhance the county’s intelligence and information collection, analysis, sharing and dissemination capabilities to provide durable, reliable, actionable, timely and effective information and intelligence in a multi-jurisdictional and multidisciplinary environment.

GOAL II: Protect Critical Infrastructure and Reduce Vulnerability to Terrorism

• Reduce the vulnerability and the risk of a terrorist attack on critical infrastructure and key resources by developing protective plans and implementing preventative programs.
• Enhance government’s capacity/capabilities to reduce the risk of a terrorist attack and ensure continuity of government during and after an event by developing viable and effective plans

GOAL III: Respond to Incidents of Terrorism Quickly and Effectively

• Enhance New Jersey’s first responder preparedness using the Preparedness Cycle: Plan; Organize, Train, & Equip; Exercise; and Evaluate & Improve.
• Strengthen communications (voice, data and information) and emergency notification/warning capabilities.
• Strengthen health and healthcare response capabilities so that injured, ill, exposed populations are rapidly and appropriately cared for or protected.
• Enhance regional collaboration to develop partnerships across multiple jurisdictions to build and share capabilities

GOAL IV: Recover from Terrorist Attack(s) and Restore Quality of Life

• Restore infrastructure and other government services to the impacted area.
• Restore quality of life to impacted populations with minimal delay.

Requests for Funding

Requests to fund homeland security projects are submitted by the discipline representatives of the Salem County Working Group (SCWG). Each funding cycle the SCWG is required to prepare a spending plan describing the projects that the county intends to support during the federal fiscal year for which an award is granted. Requests for funding are submitted during the period which the spending plan is being drafted and whenever funding becomes available due to a balance resulting from a project that was completed under budget or one that was not completed.

Requests for funding must meet all of the requirements listed below:

• Proposals must support the goals and objectives of the Salem County Working Group.
• Proposals must satisfy the requirements of the Homeland Security Grant Program as specified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• Proposals must satisfy any and all additional requirements specified by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
• Proposed equipment items must be listed on the US Department of Homeland Security’s Authorized Equipment List (AEL).
• Proposals must be submitted in writing to the Salem County Working Group. An Application for Homeland Security Funding (Salem County Working Group Form 100) must be completed to satisfy this requirement.
• Cost estimates must be obtained in accordance with New Jersey’s Local Public Contracts Law and provided to the Working Group along with the written proposal.

No proposals shall be put to a vote without satisfying these requirements.

DOWNLOAD: Application for Homeland Security Funding (SCWG Form 100) (pdf)

DOWNLOAD: Supplemental Information for Completing SCWG Form 100 (pdf)

Additional Homeland Security Grant Information

New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness – Grant Information Page