Township officials are set to go out to bid for three emergency generators to be used to power Town Hall and several other locations if disaster strikes.
The Township Council unanimously approved the resolution at the Feb. 25 meeting allowing Township Administrator Frederick Ebenau to advertise the bids.
Once the generators are in place, Berkeley residents can seek shelter in town, rather than travel somewhere else for refuge.
"We never want to be in a position where we have to rely on other entities," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "We need to make sure we are prepared in the event of a future occurrence.
When Superstorm Sandy struck, Berkeley residents who sought shelter had to travel to Toms River High School North, Pinelands Regional High School or Barnegat Middle School.
"Hopefully, we will never have to use these items," Amato said. "Berkeley Township will be self-sustaining."
One of the generators will be stationed permanently in Town Hall. The other two can be rotated as needed between the township recreation department on Route 9 South, the Little League baseball complex on Moorage Avenue, and clubhouses in the senior communities, he said.
The cost of a generator is roughly $100,000, Ebenau said after the meeting.
Funds for the equipment were already been budgeted in the 2012 capital bond ordinance. But township officials hope to recoup some of the money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
During the Oct. 29 storm, the shelter at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River High School North filled to capacity. Some Berkeley residents had no place to go and were turned away, Amato has said.
St. Maximilian Kolbe R.C. Church in the western section of Berkeley was opened up as an temporary shelter, but had no beds or kitchen facilities for storm victims.
The Township Council last night authorized the extension of free permits for another four months.
Mayor Carmen Amato and his team should be lauded for this move. Displaced Berkeley residents should have the option of finding refuge in our town.