FEMA chief to discuss readying for major storms WEST LONG BRANCH - Longtime Monmouth County residents who recall the nor'easter of 1992 or the Halloween storm of 1978 are well aware of what nature's wrath is like. But for everyone else, knowing what to expect and what to do if another monster storm should strike the county could be vital to survival. The Monmouth County Department of Economic Development and Tourism wants residents to be safe, so it has arranged a local speaking engagement by Stephen Kempf Jr., director of the Region II office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Those storms and others like Hurricane Katrina would have a serious impact on Monmouth County, especially given the amount and quality of developments along the Shore and near any of our numerous waterways," Bea Duffy, the department's director, said in a press release. "We want our residents, businesses and visitors to be safe, which means they have to be prepared for the unexpected." Kempf will speak at noon on May 30 at the department's Fifth Wednesday Squire's Luncheon held at Branches, 123 Monmouth Road, West Long Branch. He will speak about the agency's many roles during and after an emergency, and explain how protection and prevention begin on the local level and what people can do when they need assistance, Duffy said. The Region II FEMA office oversees New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is Kempf's second term as director, having been reappointed in January 2006. He previously served as director from 1990 to 1993. He is an engineer with a background in infrastructure emergency response and coastal protection, and has worked with a major engineering firm, GPU Nuclear Corp. at Oyster Creek, Lacey Township, and is an adjunct professor of social sciences and psychology at Ocean County College, Toms River. His efforts at FEMA include managing federal response and recovery efforts, mitigation activities after major flooding, and supporting state, county and local emergency managers. The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management works closely with FEMA through its association with the state police on such things as evacuation routes, shelters and debris cleanup. Fifth Wednesday Squire's luncheon is a gathering of the county's top business, civic, government and education executives. It is the county's only regularly scheduled gathering for them and as such is well attended, she said. Tickets are $30 for a choice of chicken francaise or stuffed fillet of yellowtail flounder. Seating is limited and reservations are requested. For information and reservations, please call the Monmouth County Department of Economic Development & Tourism at (732) 431-7470.