bonus- OEM

For this bonus blog entry I chose to speak about the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management. The reason that chose to make this as my bonus blog is because I interned with them this past summer and really learned a lot. This was a great place to have an internship at because they were not just an ordinary emergency management place. They had a lot more going on. On their campus, they had the county maintenance buildings, the fire fighter training academy, Hazardous Material, and emergency response. So needless to say, this was a great place for me to work because I got the priceless opportunity of being able to feel out each one of these fields and pick out which one I liked the most. This is actually the place were I decided that I would like to become a volunteer fire fighter. I got a chance to witness the training they did, and talk to a lot of the fire fighters to gather some information. Since then, I have applied to be a volunteer fireman at State College’s Alpha volunteer fire company.

            So now that the background information is out of the way, lets get into the office of emergency management and what they do. Here at the office of OEM, I worked hand in hand with the county deputy coordinator. Working with him, I got an opportunity to take part in doing the grant money for the New Jersey State police given to them by the Department of Homeland Security. This was a good experience because I was able to talk to some of the policemen and get some connections for later in life, which is really important. Another thing we did was make emergency evacuation plans for the local government buildings such as the prosecutor’s office. What we did was draw up a plan, and present it to the people who work in the buildings.

            Another thing that I learned about what the calls they got called out on. I was fortunate enough to go out on one that had to deal with a gas leak in a building. We arrived in the HAZMAT trucks and went in with a meter that would read if any toxic gas was in the building. It turned out that they building was safe and all the workers were able to reenter. But it was just really cool to be able to go out on a call. i was also fortunate enough to check out the equipment that they would use in a search and rescue scenario. They had an eight wheel vehicle that they used to go throw dirt and off road. They also had numerous trailers that was packed with supplies that I had to organize and take inventory of. Usually people don’t like taking inventory, but I enjoyed it because I was able to check out what was incorporated in the search and rescue opportunities. They had everything from vehicles to sharpies. All in all, I would recommend anyone to work at the office of emergency management in their town. It’s a great opportunity that is priceless. I learned a lot.