RICE TO INTRODUCE MEASURE TO PROTECT SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DURING POWER OUTAGES

Measure Would Require Residential Facilities to Have Robust Back-Up Generators, Monthly Inspections

NEWARK – In the aftermath of two historic storms which battered New Jersey in the last two weeks, State Senator Ronald L. Rice said today that he plans to introduce a bill which would require residential facilities for seniors and individuals with disabilities to have robust back-up generators in place to ensure minimal loss of electricity during power outages.

“While Hurricane Sandy and the follow-up snow storm caused billions of dollars in property damage throughout New Jersey, they also served as the ultimate test for the systems that we have in place to protect New Jerseyans during severe weather conditions,” said Senator Rice, D-Essex. “While we were thankfully able to weather the storms with relatively little loss of life, we were unfortunately ill-prepared for the several days worth of power outages that followed the storms. We have to treat this as a learning experience, so that we can be better prepared for the next big storm or power outage.”

Click here to read the rest of Senator Rice's news release.

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