Maplewood: What You Need to Know for Nemo

Maplewood officials held a live press conference Friday morning to update residents on how the township is preparing for the approaching blizzard.

Mayor Vic DeLuca said the township's emergency management team, headed by Joseph Manning, met earlier this morning and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops.

The township will send out email alerts as needed and will post updated information on the township website.

"Get home, stay home, and stay safe," DeLuca said.

Here are the key points that came out of the conference:

Important Phone Numbers

Police

For emergencies, call 911. For all other issues, call the regular line at (973) 762-3400.

Police Chief Robert Cimino reminded residents that any cars parked overnight are subject to being towed and drivers will receive a summons. 

Also, he cautioned against any unessential travel. 

The police department has additional personnel on duty in preparation for the storm.

PSE&G

To report power outages, call 1-800-436-7734.

To track power outages, go to the PSE&G Outage Center.

Follow PSE&G on twitter: twitter.com/psegdelivers.

Fire Department

Chief Michael Dingelstedt said the Maplewood Fire Department has made all necessary preparations for the storm.

He asked that residents "adopt a fire hydrant" and clear snow in a 3' diameter around hydrants to ensure firefighters can have access.

He cautioned residents using generators to operate them safely. For more information on generator and fire safety in a storm, read this Patch article and see the generator safety article attached here as a PDF.

Department of Public Works

Director Eric Burbank said roads are already being salted and plows are at the ready. 

He asked residents to put their cars in the driveway and stay in for the night.

Do not shovel snow into the road, and do not plow snow across the street because it will make the street dangerously narrow. It is illegal to do so, and residents can receive a summons.

Residents have 24 hours after snow stops to shovel or they will receive a summons. Inspectors will be out, said DeLuca.

Jitneys will run on Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting. NJ Transit is running additional early rush hour trains and jitneys will be there to pick up Maplewood passengers. 

Health Department

Director Robert Roe said the DeHart Center will be open as an emergency shelter if there are widespread power outages. If residents need help getting to a shelter, call police at (973) 762-3400.

Bring pillows, blankets, sheets, medications and personal items, as well as toys and games for children.

Roe asked residents to check on elderly or infirm neighbors during and after the storm. He said people had done so after Hurricane Sandy, and "that's the strength of our community."

Early Closings and Cancellations

SOMSD schools have early dismissal today; all schools will follow the 4-hour day. All afterschool activities are cancelled.

The , has cancelled its Friday night performance. Saturday and Sunday will go on as planned, for now.

Maplewood Memorial Library Main Branch is open today until 4 p.m., unless the weather changes for the worse. Call library ahead before you go or check the website. All Saturday programs are cancelled. On Saturday morning, the library will determine whether it will open at all on Saturday.

The Maplewood Jitney meeting scheduled for Saturday morning has been cancelled.