UPPER FREEHOLD – Municipal officials have approved a new policy that establishes proper access and use of a Facebook page for the Upper Freehold Township Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
On Oct. 3, Township Committee members approved a social media policy for Facebook management and posting for the OEM Facebook page at www.facebook.com/upperfreeholdemergencymanagement/
According to the Facebook page, the OEM provides a plan for residents that outlines the procedures that are or may be taken to prepare for, mitigate against, respond to and recover from any natural or man-made disaster.
Under the policy approved by the governing body, only the OEM officer is permitted to make changes and post information on the Facebook page. The OEM officer will have access to the page through a private ID and password that is not to be shared with anyone else.
The OEM Facebook page will be used to alert the public to emergency situations, to provide safety information and to present public service information. There will be links to Monmouth County, state and federal information services.
Officials said the commenting function would not be enabled on the Facebook page to ensure that members of the public do not post unnecessary and irrelevant information.
In other business, committee members hired Edward Gensinger as an on-call, per diem firefighter for the Hope Fire Company at a rate of $13.26 per hour. The Hope Fire Company serves Upper Freehold and Allentown.
Per diem firefighters are used on an on-call basis because municipal officials have found it necessary to have them fill in during vacation days and sick days, or under other circumstances that may arise that would prevent department personnel from fulfilling their duties, according to a resolution.
