Allenhurst Police Officer Michael DiBona received an award recently for his work in procuring more than $1 million in military surplus equipment for the borough of Allenhurst.
So far, the borough has obtained heavy duty trucks, emergency portable water pumps, emergency generators, emergency management supplies, and vehicles, that can be used in a storm situation, such as snow or flooding. This equipment has been obtained, at no cost to the borough, under the federal government’s LESO program, where excess military equipment can be transferred to state and local law enforcement agencies.
Contrary to public perceptions, this equipment is going to be used in emergency management situations, where evacuations may be necessary, or in situations where weather may restrict the use of everyday police vehicles.
“After Superstorm Sandy, and last year’s significant snowfall, several shore towns realized that bigger vehicles would be needed to evacuate residents, in a scenario that involved severe weather, such as flooding, or snowstorms,” said Capt. Michael Schneider. “These vehicles give Allenhurst, and any surrounding towns, that may need these vehicles, the ability to evacuate residents more easily, if needed. Some of these vehicles also give first responders the ability to respond to emergency incidents more quickly in snow-storm related situations, where everyday police vehicles may have difficulty getting around. PFC DiBona has played a pivotal role in searching for, applying for, and receiving approval, in the procurement of this equipment.”
