THE OCEAN County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the Ocean County Police Chiefs Association has established a decontamination site in Berkeley Township off of the Garden State Parkway for emergency response vehicles.

“We opened the site earlier this week and so far we have serviced over 200 emergency response vehicles,” said Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, who serves as Ocean County Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management. “The site is set up for any police, fire or first aid vehicle in the County, especially those that have transported someone suspected of having the coronavirus.”

Mastronardy noted some residents were accessing the site in the commuter parking lot directly off of Exit 77 on the Garden State Parkway at 509 Forest Hills Parkway in Bayville believing it was a testing site for the coronavirus.

“This site is only to disinfect emergency vehicles,” he stressed.

The site will be open Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29 from 2 to 6 p.m. It operates from noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Mastronardy noted there is no need for an appointment for the emergency responders.

Vehicles are sprayed with a non-toxic, biodegradable product called Aseptic Plus manufactured in Nashville, Tennessee.

It has also been used on the belts and shoes of some of the emergency responders.

“It’s important we keep our emergency responders – all of our police, first aid and fire personnel – safe during the coronavirus outbreak,” Mastronardy said. “Along with all of our health care professionals, emergency responders are heavily relied upon by our residents. We need to do all we can to keep them safe.”

Mastronardy said additional vehicle decontamination satellite sites are expected to be established in Brick Township under the Brick Township Office of Emergency Management and in Jackson Township under the Jackson Township Police Department.

The Sheriff’s Office worked with Stafford Township Police Chief Thomas Dellane in establishing the site in Berkeley Township and is working with Jackson Township Police Chief Matt Kunz and Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio on those respective sites.

“I appreciate the efforts of all of our police chiefs and all of our emergency responders,” Mastronardy said. “These partnerships go a long way in making certain we have what we need to keep our responders safe and to assist our residents.”