Hundreds of Police Calls Answered Throughout Storm

The t received 356 calls, not including fire department calls, during the 24-hour period surrounding Sunday's tropical storm, responding to over 150 requests for service.

"We were very fortunate that not only did I have extra staff here to handle the calls, but we enacted our Kinnelon [Community Emergency Response Team] CERT Team to set up phone lines for all non-emergency calls," Lt. John Schwartz said. The CERT Team set up and answered calls from the upper level of the Kinnelon Municipal Building.

Schwartz said many more calls were placed requesting flood pump-outs from the

Across Route 23, the Butler Police Department received 108 calls between 9 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Monday.

"Of those 108, a good 98 percent were responded to," said Butler Police Capt. Ciro Chimento. Those calls did not include calls to Butler Electric or the Butler Fire Department.

"I have to commend Butler Police, Butler Electric and the ," Chimento said. "All three agencies worked together with the [Office of Emergency Management] and we came out relatively unscathed here in Butler due to their efforts."

On Sunday and Monday, the responded to 53 calls.

"It's more than double that when you factor in the other things," said Chief Joe Borell. Other calls not factored in included calls to the fire department for pump-outs (which Borell said were in excess of 100).

Calls included in the 53 include for property and vehicle damage, alarm conditions, traffic and road hazards, utility (sewer, electric and gas) complaints, evacuations and fires.

While calls were placed by residents about emergencies, Kinnelon Mayor Bob Collins said some calls were placed by residents to confirm emergency situations had ended. Collins said that some residents who had placed calls earlier in the day about losing power had called back to tell police their power had been restored and that they should be taken off emergency lists.

"I want to recognize not only emergency personnel but the residents who were phenomenal during the process," he said.