TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — After a brutal Fall that brought one wildfire after the next, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a new program to better coordinate response and resources.
Officials called it Wildfire SMART, standing for the five efforts it will address — Safety, Mitigation, Awareness, Response, and Training.
DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said this program will help them be more nimble in several ways.
“In addition to funding for supporting equipment and contracted support, increased communication support, increased support for our acquisition and development of vehicles,” he said.
Murphy said the state isn’t budgeting any extra money for the program, but the increased collaboration with county and local governments will help DEP get more bang for their buck.