Freeholder Asks for Probe of JCP&L Hurricane Response

Jersey Central Power and Light Company managers flunked Hurricane Irene’s preparedness test, according to Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, who is urging the state Board of Public Utilities to “review JCP&L’s planning procedures for this storm.’’

He said that 87,000 county residents were without power during the storm, some of them for as long as a week, suffering the loss of perishable food. He challenged the utility to have a representative attend a meeting of the county government to discuss the response to the storm.

Vicari continued to insist that a regional representative hung up on a conference call from him and county Administrator Carl W. Block seeking information about power outages. No one from the utility has called county officials since that Aug. 30 incident, Vicari charged Wednesday.

JCP&L spokesman Ron Romano denied anyone from the company hung up on Vicari, but Vicari repeated the charge in a letter to the utility’s president and CEO, Anthony J. Alexander.

It is not the first time Vicari has tangled with the utility company brass. A July 2003 power outage that hit shore businesses on the Barnegat peninsula earned his ire and promises from the utility to make improvements to see that episode was not repeated. It has not been, but Vicari said management’s “response to concerns and complaints raised by residents and businesses fell terribly short,’’ during and after Hurricane Irene.

The county leaders have repeatedly called for someone from Ocean County to be named to the state Board of Public Utilities, which regulates JCP&L, but no one has been named. A new cry for such an appointment will be made by the freeholders when they meet next Wednesday.

Vicari said the utility’s workers did their best to respond, but some of them complained to him of a lack of manpower, supplies and equipment. It is management that flunked the test, he charged Wednesday.

The hurricane that triggered the whirlwind did $4.5 million in damage, according to preliminary estimates, Vicari said. County roads suffered $1 million in damage, that that does not include the cost of replacing the Bowman Bridge in Jackson with a Bailey Bridge until a permanent replacement can be made.

Freeholder John P. Kelly said a massive sinkhole was gouged by the raging waters of the storm under the approach to the bridge. It was filled, compacted and paved, but settling was quickly noticed, leading to the decision to close the bridge that was built in 1939 and upgraded in 1971. County crews will put in the Bailey bridge, which is owned by the county, Kelly said. The span was slated to be replaced next year. County Engineer Frank Scarantino said the bridge should be in place and the road reopened in about three weeks.

The county’s Office of Emergency Management is continuing to assess the hurricane’s toll, Vicari said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Brick Civic Plaza on Chambers Bridge Road on Tuesday. Residents can register before visiting the center by calling 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. Online registrations can be made at www.disasterassistance.gov. Those with web-enabled mobile devices or smart phones can visit m.fema.gov and follow the link to “apply online for federal assistance.’’

Vicari said the county Web site, www.co.ocean.nj.us has updates on disaster assistance and guidelines.

“Scroll through the updates box on the home page,’’ he said.