STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5348
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 18, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to statewide disaster
preparedness plan and emergency response
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby
2 finds and declares that due to the extreme weather patterns that the
3 state of New York has experienced in recent years, there is a need for
4 improvement of the statewide preparedness plan to better equip locali-
5 ties in assisting citizens. The disaster preparedness commission shall
6 develop a comprehensive disaster defense plan that maps out the course
7 of action for all state and local authorities, departments, and agencies
8 in the event that the state experiences a disaster that affects more
9 than one county in the state. The public needs a more readily available
10 and comprehensive set of instructions for the proper course of action to
11 be taken in the event of emergencies and disasters.
12 § 2. Subdivision 3 of section 22 of the executive law is amended by
13 adding a new paragraph d to read as follows:
14 d. Periodic plan revision. The annual review of the plans shall take
15 into consideration the reports and recommendations made by any appropri-
16 ate task force or commission formed as a result or in response to a
17 specific incident involving a threat, disaster or emergency. The
18 commission shall work with the governor, the legislature, county, and
19 municipal officials to ensure that the plan is sensitive to the needs of
20 the individual locality or area of the state.
21 § 3. Subparagraphs 6 and 16 of paragraph b of subdivision 3 of section
22 22 of the executive law, as amended by section 3 of part B of chapter 56
23 of the laws of 2010, are amended and a new paragraph 17 is added to read
24 as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03110-01-5
A. 5348 2
1 (6) a plan for coordinated evacuation procedures, including the estab-
2 lishment of temporary housing, the location of strategically placed
3 stockpiles of food, water and other necessary emergency materials, and
4 other necessary facilities;
5 (16) utilization and coordination of programs to assist individuals
6 with household pets and service animals following a disaster, with
7 particular attention to means of evacuation, shelter and transportation
8 options[.]; and
9 (17) a centralized dissemination of the procedures, resources and
10 information set forth in this paragraph to local governments and other
11 response organizations, including not-for-profit groups participating in
12 relief and recovery efforts.
13 § 4. Paragraphs (t) and (u) of subdivision 2 of section 709 of the
14 executive law, paragraph (t) as added by section 14 and paragraph (u) as
15 added by section 22 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of 2010, are
16 amended to read as follows:
17 (t) develop, maintain, and deploy state, regional and local all-hazard
18 incident management teams[.]; and
19 (u) hold public hearings subsequent to any significant emergency or
20 disaster affecting any area of the state and report on and make recom-
21 mendations to the state disaster preparedness commission as to addi-
22 tional actions that should be taken in response to specific emergency
23 situations.
24 2-a. Notwithstanding article six-C of this chapter, or any other
25 provision of law to the contrary, the division of homeland security and
26 emergency services shall establish best practices regarding training and
27 education for firefighters and first responders which shall include but
28 not be limited to: minimum basic training for firefighters and first
29 responders; in-service training and continuing education; and special-
30 ized training as it may apply to the specific duties of a category of
31 emergency personnel.
32 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
