BERKELEY TOWNSHIP – The Ocean County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Management will hold its final public workshop on the County's Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The public is encouraged to participate in the workshop scheduled for 5 p.m., Jan. 30.

"This has been an ongoing process working with emergency management partners and our citizens to update the Hazard Mitigation plan," said Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, Emergency Management Coordinator. "The plan is updated every five years so communities in Ocean County can prepare for disasters and also be eligible for certain types of state and federal disaster relief funds following a disaster.

"Engaging as many voices from the community as possible is important to the success of the HMP update," Mastronardy said.

The 60-minute hybrid public workshop is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., Jan. 30 and the public can attend in-person at the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management located at the Robert J. Miller Airpark, Route 530, here.

To register for the workshop virtually, the public can visit the Ocean County website at www.co.ocean.nj.us and click on the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan tab on the home page and follow the instructions to register.

Or register at https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/70667c87-86c6-460a-8c31-0209d8ca80f2@db9cdc8c-6fae-4c51-a7a2-638f7e69aecc.

The HMP which also can be accessed from the county's website will be available for review and comment until Feb. 7.

Earlier HMP workshop topics included:
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant Programs
• New Jersey Office of Emergency Management grant assistance
• Mitigation partnerships
• Plan integration opportunities

The 2025 Multi-jurisdictional All Hazard Mitigation Plan for Ocean County is an update to the 2020 County HMP. The Plan is the result of work by citizens of the County to develop a pre-disaster, multi-hazard mitigation plan that will not only guide the County towards greater disaster resistance but will also respect the character and needs of the community.

The website at https://sheriff.co.ocean.nj.us/frmHazardMitigationPlan was used throughout the planning process to provide information, announce meetings, provide the public an opportunity to comment on the plan throughout the entire project, and post the draft plan for review.

Hazard mitigation planning has the potential to produce long-term and recurring benefits by breaking the cycle of loss. A core assumption of mitigation is that current dollars invested in mitigation practices will significantly reduce the demand for future dollars by lessening the amount needed for recovery, repair, and reconstruction. These mitigation practices will also enable residents, businesses, and industries to re-establish themselves in the wake of a disaster, getting the economy back on track sooner and with less interruption.

Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners John P. Kelly, liaison to the Ocean County Sheriff's Department, encouraged Ocean County citizens to participate in the workshops.

"Whether you attend in person or join the discussion virtually, it's important we hear from you," he said. "This plan affects all of us living here."

For questions about the plan or the public workshop please contact Brittany Dremluk, Consultant Project Manager at Michael Baker International, Inc. by emailing brittany.dremluk@mbakerintl.com or calling 609-807-9556, or Allen J. Mantz, Jr., Radiological Officer, Acting Domestic Preparedness Planner, Ocean County Sheriff's Office at amantz@co.ocean.nj.us or calling 732-341-3451, Ext. 6120.