Directives Issued by the State Office of Emergency Management

DIRECTIVE NO. 74

SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EXERCISES

Emergency Management exercises and drills are desirable and are encouraged at all levels to evaluate our planning and training programs, to sustain interest, and to improve our degree of readiness.

PRIOR APPROVAL TO CONDUCT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EXERCISES FUNCTIONAL OR FULL-SCALE WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THIS OFFICE TO ASSURE PROPER COORDINATION AND FOR RECORD PURPOSES.

Requests will be forwarded through County Emergency Management Coordinators and will include the date, time, type and area in which the exercise is to be conducted, together with a brief scenario outlining its content.

Planning for exercises which involve the public must provide for adequate advance publicity in order that surrounding communities, and other interested agencies, may be informed. As a general guide, the local Emergency Management Coordinator will be responsible for notification to local agencies; and the State Director will be responsible for State agency notifications.

In the event the proposed exercise will interrupt traffic on a county road, the County Emergency Management Coordinator will obtain permission for its use from the Board of Chosen Freeholders. IF THE EXERCISE WILL INTERRUPT TRAFFIC ON A STATE HIGHWAY, APPROVAL WILL BE OBTAINED FROM THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THIS OFFICE.

In accordance with Federal Communications Regulations, Paragraph 97.193 (B), all messages which are transmitted in connection with exercises, drills, or tests shall be clearly identified as such by use of the words "THIS IS A DRILL" or "Test" as appropriate in the body of the message.

AN EXERCISE DATA REPORT, FEMA FORM 95-44, WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE DIRECTOR WITHIN 10 DAYS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE EXERCISE. The report should include the number of persons and agencies who participated, functions that were exercised, e.g., Communications, Rescue, Health, etc.; SOP's exercised such as alerting and mobilization procedures; identification of major problems encountered; and accomplishments.

Your attention is invited to the provisions of Section 39:4-197.1, Title 39, Revised Statutes, New Jersey Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulations, which states:

"PROHIBITING NORMAL TRAFFIC ON COUNTY OR STATE HIGHWAY: CONSENT OF BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS OR HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER NECESSARY.
No municipality in the exercise of its power to regulate parades, processions or assemblages, shall prohibit normal traffic on any county or state highway without the consent of the Board of Chosen Freeholders in the case of the county highway or the consent of the State Highway Commissioner in the case of a state highway."

Directive No. 74 dated May 10, 1973 is hereby revised