This week the Hoboken Police Department received delivery of an Emergency Response Truck for the department’s first-ever Emergency Services Unit (ESU) which launched on January 1st, 2017. The vehicle and specialized equipment, which cost nearly $190,000, was purchased at no cost to Hoboken taxpayers using the Local Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
“The City of Hoboken is safer today thanks to the highly-trained and specially-equipped elite Emergency Services Unit which is prepared to handle every type of situation,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I thank and congratulate Chief Ferrante and all members of the Hoboken Police Department on this tremendous accomplishment and for their work every day to keep our residents and visitors safe.”
The ESU Team is comprised of 11 tactical officers with extensive specialized training including active shooter response, rescue drills, firearms training, SWAT, and emergency medical responder school, as well as two crisis negotiators. All the training has been performed to national standards.
“While this unit is trained to handle worst-case scenarios, they are on patrol every day responding to every type of emergency call including motor vehicle crashes with injuries, medical calls, burglaries, robberies, fights, emotionally disturbed persons, rescue calls, weapons calls, and dangerous animal calls, just to name a few,” said Police Chief Ken Ferrante. “If the unfortunate event ever occurs involving an active shooter, barricaded suspect, or a terrorism incident, this unit has been trained and is ready to handle all kinds of scenarios.”
The ESU vehicle is equipped with flood lights, basic medical equipment including oxygen, breaching equipment, rescue ropes, ladders, ballistic shields, saws, basic fire suppression equipment, and high capacity weapons.
“In addition to the tactical officers, we have also trained a Lieutenant and a Sergeant in crisis negotiations so that we can diffuse high-risk situations before having to possibly use force, which is always the last case option,” added Chief Ferrante.
The ESU Team consists of Commander Lt. Corrado Allegretta, Sgt. Cesar Olivarria, Sgt. David Olivera, and Officers William Bullock, Luke Zeszotarski, Tyrone Huggins, Wilfredo Gomez, James Barbro, Nate Arocho, Ramon Calderon, and David DiMartino. The crisis negotiators are Lt. Anthony Pasculli and Sgt. Steven Kranz.
“There are so many people to thank who played a role in making this team come together including Mayor Zimmer, Business Administrator Marks, the City Council, my three Captains, Charles Campbell, Dan Lobue and Tory Pasculli, Lt. John Miskulin who helped with identifying funding, Lt. Corrado Allegretta, Det. Anthony Caruso, Det. Alex Gonzalez, and Det. Charles Kucz, retired Officers Robert Truppner and Walter Wehrhahn, and Union City Police Chief Rich Molinari and their ESU Commander Capt. Brian Wolpert,” added Chief Ferrante.
