Assemblyman Goldfeder Meets with NYC Office of Emergency Management to Discuss Emergency Preparedness and Planning

February 27, 2012

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D- Rockaway) recently met with Commissioner Joseph Bruno and the staff of the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to discuss Southern Queens and Rockaway emergency preparedness, planning and readiness. They spoke about the current evacuation procedures, community education and training and collaboration with other local organizations such as Ready Rockaway and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

“I want to thank Commissioner Bruno and his staff at OEM for their tireless efforts on behalf of our community and for their willingness to work with local partners to ensure the safety of our families,” Assemblyman Goldfeder said. “This meeting was a great opportunity to discuss the ongoing challenges we face in Southern Queens and Rockaway with regard to emergency preparedness and management. We spoke about a number of current programs that OEM successfully manages such as ‘Ready NY’ and ‘NotifyNYC’ and additional ways to collaborate with local stakeholders.”

Southern Queens and the Rockaway are especially susceptible to storm surges and coastal flooding from hurricanes and Nor’easters due to the close proximity to Jamaica bay and the ocean. As was demonstrated by Hurricane Irene, extra precautions must be taken to avoid potentially life threatening situations and scenarios. In addition, the extremely limited public transportation options further hinders the ability of residents to evacuate.

“The time to ready ourselves is now, before another incident occurs,” said Assemblyman Goldfeder. “There must be a clear plan in place so that every resident knows what to do and where to go in case of a disaster. Our families need to be prepared for any and every situation and that is only possible through better education and training.”

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