State of New Jersey
Executive Order #20

Acting Governor Richard J. Codey

WHEREAS, New Jersey, the most densely populated State in the nation, has an unmatched array of critical transportation, utility, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and entertainment infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the State's industrial and civil infrastructure commingles with dense population centers and high traffic transportation corridors; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey functions as a global transportation and commercial gateway with tens of millions of people passing through New Jersey on their way to destinations around the world and vast quantities of goods moving through the State to and from markets throughout the nation, Canada, Europe, Africa and the Far East; and

WHEREAS, numerous analyses have indicated that Port Newark-Port Elizabeth, which is the most active port on the eastern seaboard and which has plans to further increase its cargo capacity throughput, is vulnerable to terrorist actions including attacks from weapons of mass destruction concealed in containers; and

WHEREAS, each day New Jersey's public roads and transportation systems, including buses, light rail, passenger airlines, trains and ferries, enable millions of people to gain access to all parts of the State and neighboring states; and

WHEREAS, this transportation infrastructure and these systems are likely targets for terrorist attacks and, as such, the State must devise and implement measures to meet the challenge of safeguarding and avoiding disruption to those who could be affected by such an attack; and

WHEREAS, a terrorist incident disrupting New Jersey's industrial and transportation infrastructure or critical utilities would severely affect both national and international economic stability as well as public safety and international travel resulting in the loss of billions of dollars to the world economy; and

WHEREAS, the federal, State and local efforts to develop comprehensive training, education, exercise and research & development programs to protect against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) threats have been robust but divergent;

WHEREAS, safeguarding the State's populace and critical infrastructure requires a continuous, comprehensive and intensive training, education, exercise and research effort to protect against CBRNE threats; and

WHEREAS, the scale of response that is required to protect New Jersey and the nation against the threat of domestic terrorism require the consolidation and coordination to the extent possible of efficient and effective training, education, exercises, research and development; and

WHEREAS, to best utilize the disparate expertise in the areas of training, education, exercise and research & development throughout the State, it is necessary to aggregate to the greatest extent possible the functions that will be relied upon prepare for and to respond to the CBRNE threats; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey would benefit substantially from an objective expert and efficient process to conduct training, education, exercises, research and development related to the CBRNE threats; and

WHEREAS, at present there is no single entity designated to support the State's efforts to protect against CBRNE threats by way of continuous, comprehensive training, education, exercises, research and development; and

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Medical Emergency Disaster Preparedness & Response Expert Panel (MEDPREP), under the direction and leadership of the New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services, recently recognized the need for, and endorsed the concept of creating, an "all hazards" simulation training facility for public health, law enforcement and environmental protection emergency response personnel, and emergency medical practitioners and clinicians; and

WHEREAS, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) currently staffs and operates the Center for BioDefense; and

WHEREAS, UMDNJ is the State's public biological and health-related research university, which includes the Center for BioDefense, the School of Public Health and its federally funded Academic Center for Public Health Preparedness, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute in partnership with Rutgers, The State University, and the New Jersey Preparedness Training Consortium; and

WHEREAS, the UMDNJ Center for BioDefense has a lead role in the Northeast Biodefense Center (NBC), a consortium of basic and applied research and public health organizations selected by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases as one of eight Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research; and

WHEREAS, the NBC's primary mission is to provide regional and national practical solutions to the public health threats emanating from both bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases; and

WHEREAS, UMDNJ has been awarded nearly $21 million from the National Institutes of Health to build a new 13,000 square foot regional biocontainment laboratory;

WHEREAS, UMDNJ has a proven record of State service, responding in an effective manner to a wide variety of public needs; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 3 of the Laws of 2005 tasked the Department of Environmental Protection, with the concurrence of the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Homeland Security Branch in the Division of State Police, with development of a comprehensive plan for the standardization and coordination of county hazardous material response programs; and

WHEREAS, UMDNJ has demonstrated an ability to partner with the full range of relevant entities, including other higher education institutions, State military bases, and State agencies, including the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force; and

WHEREAS, UMDNJ has an established close working relationship with Picatinny Arsenal and Fort Monmouth, installations that have previously been designated as "New Jersey Centers for Homeland Defense Technologies and Security Readiness"; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Richard J. Codey, Acting Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT that:

  1. The New Jersey CBRNE Training and Research Center at UMDNJ (the "Center") shall be created within UMDNJ to work in collaboration with State government and thereby serve as the facilitator in bringing together the vast array of expertise that exists in New Jersey and throughout the country in the areas of training, education, exercises, research and development relating to CBRNE threats.

  2. Working in collaboration with the State including those state agencies tasked with the development of standardized hazardous material response programs; in coordination with those already existing CBRNE training, education and research programs; in compliance with the security strategy developed by the Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force (Task Force); and with oversight and guidance from the Task Force through the Center Advisory Group (CAG), the Center will, among other activities:

    • Establish at least one state-of-the-art center to provide CBRNE focused training, education and exercises to first responders, as that term is defined by the National Incident Management System (NIMS);

    • Establish at least one state-of-the-art center to provide CBRNE focused training, education and exercises to security advisors;

    • Provide and/or facilitate CBRNE focused training, education and exercises;

    • Develop training, education and exercise curricula and perform research and development based on identified threats and associated risks and impact to public health and safety;

    • Provide a delivery platform for first responder and security advisor training as approved by the Office of Domestic Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security (ODP);

    • Take all necessary steps to become a member of the ODP National Domestic Preparedness Training Consortium;

    • Endeavor to establish a comprehensive world class "all hazards" preparedness training, education and exercises facilities, coupled with state-of-the-art advanced level preparedness programs;

    • Provide opportunities for educators, researchers, and other professionals to provide and investigate critical information and technical aspects of state-of-the-art advancements, as well as new applications for existing technologies relating to the CBRNE threats;

    • Provide a venue and resources for CBRNE focused basic and applied research directed by the United States Departments of Health & Human Services, Homeland Security and Defense;

    • Address CBRNE specific needs which are local to New Jersey as well as CBRNE needs that may not receive adequate attention at a national level;

    • Seek and foster collaboration, coordination and more effective management of a single organization or multi-organizational grant application(s) regarding CBRNE focused training, education, exercises, research and development programs that engage federal, state and local agencies, New Jersey colleges and universities and private sector firms;

    • Seek and foster collaboration and coordination with the recently assigned Civil Support Team (Heavy) assigned to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs;

    • Seek and foster collaboration, coordination and more effective management of a single organization or multi-organizational grant application(s) regarding CBRNE focused training, education, exercises, research and development programs that engage federal, state and local agencies, New Jersey colleges and universities and private sector firms;

    • Enter into cooperative agreements with federal, state and local agencies, New Jersey colleges and universities, and private sector firms regarding CBRNE focused training, education and exercises, research and development programs;

    • Enter into cooperative agreements with military installations such as Fort Monmouth, Picatinny Arsenal, Lakehurst Naval Air Base, Fort Dix, McGuire Air Force Base related to CBRNE focused training, education, exercises, research and development programs; and

    • Identify opportunities, and make recommendations, to maximize efficiencies through relocation and alignment of CBRNE focused training, education and exercise programs, and research expertise, capabilities and facilities.

  3. The Center will have an Center Advisory Group (CAG) comprised of representatives from the Attorney General's Office, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Department of Community Affairs, the Superintendent of State Police, and the Office of Counter Terrorism. The Chair shall be elected by the Group from among the members of the Group. The CAG, as a representative body of the Task Force, shall provide oversight and guidance to the Center including, but not limited to, the continuing viability of the Center.

  4. UMDNJ will be responsible for developing and maintaining, and have full control of an appropriate governance, oversight, management and operational structure for the Center with advice and direction from the CAG.

  5. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 3rd day
of February in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand
and Five, and of the Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-Ninth.

/s/ Richard J. Codey

Acting Governor

[seal]

Attest:

/s/ Paul T. Fader

Chief Counsel to the Governor