OEM Coordinator John Cottage Retires

After starting with the Office of Emergency Management in high school, John Cottage spent almost half a century with the OEM.

Cottage served as OEM Coordinator with 38 Mayors, four police chiefs and nine fire chiefs. His predecessor, Saul Freeman, was coordinator for 18 years. With longtime deputy coordinator Scott Seidel taking over as coordinator, Springfield has had three coordinators in 56 years.

In conversation, now coordinator emeritus Cottage marveled at the continuity for the appointed position, which in other New Jersey towns changes over every year.

“For me, that’s an unbelievable statistic for Springfield,” Cottage said. 

Cottage credited the steadiness to the caliber of volunteers the coordinators have been worked with.

“We have had tremendous volunteers who have worked doggedly,” Cottage said.

Cottage said the biggest challenge was responding to 9-11. After convening a meeting of the emergency management, then-superintendent of Springfield Schools Walt Mahler said that there was a good chance the day’s tragedy would hit home for area children.

“Over 200 emergency contact numbers had 212 area codes,” Cottage said.

They kept the schools open that day and held students at the school until they could locate their parents.

While he has moved fulltime to Vermont, Cottage will still be involved with township affairs, notably the summer concert and helping to organize the annual July 4th celebration. Handing the reins to Seidel and newly sworn-in Deputy Coordinator Wally Schultz, Cottage said he was confident he was leaving the office in capable hands.

“They have the experience and knowledge to maintain [the office] and grow it,” Cottage said.