City Council Legislating improvements to NYC emergency Preparedness and Response

FYI

Council Action Will Better Prepare City for Future Storms and Emergencies   

Legislation aims to improve the City’s emergency preparedness and response by requiring the Office of Emergency Management to develop plans in several major areas

New York, NY- Yesterday, the City Council  voted on a package of legislation – the result of 12 post-Hurricane Sandy oversight hearings – to improve the City’s emergency preparedness and response by requiring the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to develop plans in several major areas, including: food and water access; emergency shelter preparations; outreach to vulnerable populations; tracking individuals in special medical needs shelters; traffic and fuel management; and small business and non-profit organization recovery.

Comprehensive Sandy Response Legislation

Food and Water Access (Int. No. 1069-A)

After Sandy, many people were left without access to food and water, and testimony at Council hearings indicated that efforts to distribute food and water were uncoordinated and inefficient.

The Food and Water Access Plan bill mandates the OEM Commissioner to develop a plan in consultation with community-based organizations to ensure that the public has sufficient access to food and water during emergencies. The plan will require that the public, private and non-profit sectors’ roles in supplying food and water are clearly defined during emergencies, that the City coordinate the efforts of these sectors, that personnel responsible for implementation are identified and that the public is aware of how to access these supplies.

Sheltering (Int. No. 1070-A)
The City provided emergency shelter to thousands of people after Sandy, in some cases for more than two weeks. Many advocates and members of the public testified at Council hearings that a number of shelters lacked adequate supplies, that it was unclear who was responsible for managing some of the shelters and that the facilities were not equipped to house people long-term. 

Council legislation will require OEM to anticipate the operation of emergency shelters for short, medium or long-term stays, and to develop a plan in consultation with community-based organizations to ensure that the facilities used during emergencies are adequate for habitability for long-term stays and are sufficiently stocked with proper food and supplies. The plan will also include a description of key staff at the shelters and how they will be clearly identified. The bill also calls for a mechanism to track the number of people who enter and exit each day and identification of shelters that are accessible to people with disabilities.


Tracking of Persons in Special Medical Needs Shelters (Int. No. 1053-A)
During and after Sandy, the City operated several special medical needs shelters designed to serve those who need extra care during an emergency. However, the Council heard reports that the medical needs of this vulnerable population were not properly tracked and that family members had difficulty reaching evacuees in special medical needs shelters.

This bill would require OEM to develop a plan for tracking the location and medical needs of those entering and exiting special medical needs shelters and develop a process whereby those at such shelters can be connected to family members and guardians. The plan would include a means for distributing bracelets or another type of wearable device with information about the shelter resident, such as emergency contacts and medications. 


Outreach and Recovery Plan to Assist Vulnerable and Homebound Individuals (Int. No. 1065-A)

After Sandy, a coordinated door-to-door outreach campaign to assist the homebound and vulnerable was not launched for more than a week. In addition, many of these individuals expressed concern that there were not clear instructions on how to safely prepare and evacuate in the days leading up to the storm.

Under this legislation, OEM must develop an outreach and recovery procedure to assist vulnerable and homebound residents before, during and after emergencies. The plan would include a description of how OEM will coordinate with relevant agencies, community-based organizations and service providers in order to provide information, supplies and transportation to vulnerable and homebound individuals. The plan would include a description of how to utilize existing lists of homebound and vulnerable individuals maintained by such organizations and agencies, and a process to inform vulnerable and homebound individuals about how they may be included on these lists. The bill also requires OEM to create a door-to-door task force to develop a strategy for locating vulnerable and homebound people in need of assistance and to consult with community groups in developing the outreach plan.

Traffic Management (Int. No. 1076-A)

Following Sandy, there were numerous transportation problems, including flooded streets and subways, traffic gridlock and a lack of working street lights and traffic signals.

To keep the City’s transportation network functioning to the greatest extent possible in the event of an emergency, this bill will require the City, to develop a plan that would include the installation of back-up power capability to ensure that roadways are usable and to develop alternative transportation options – including bus and ferry service – in the event of serious impact to the City’s transportation network.

Fuel Management (Int. No. 1077-A)

This bill calls for the City to develop or update a plan to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, fuel access to critical systems in the event of an emergency that compromises, or may compromise, the fuel supply in New York City. Following Sandy, there were severe fuel shortages in the City, leading to fuel rationing.

This bill would establish procedures and criteria for determining when there is a fuel shortage and when rationing is necessary, and that those involved in rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts will have priority in obtaining fuel.

Small Business Recovery Bill (Int. No. 1072-A)

According to testimony provided at Council hearings, the City confronted significant challenges in determining the extent of the damage to small businesses. In addition, many small business owners were unaware of disaster recovery and technical assistance resources provided by the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) and certain non-profits.

This bill requires OEM, in consultation with SBS, to create a recovery plan for small businesses and non-profit organizations after consulting with such businesses and organizations across the City to identify resources that different types of businesses may need. The bill requires that the plan include a post-disaster survey of small businesses and non-profits to determine the extent of damage and the need for assistance. Businesses and non-profits must be provided with alerts related to disaster preparedness and recovery resources before, during and after a disaster, as well as loan and grant application assistance and business counseling to help facilitate recovery.

Community Recovery Bill (Int. No. 1054-A)

Following the storm, many community members, advocates and Council Members reported that OEM was not on the ground in the hardest impacted areas. This resulted in a disjointed recovery process where the critical needs of those most severely affected were not met in a timely fashion. 

To address this issue, the Community Recovery Bill requires the Commissioner of OEM to develop or update a community recovery plan that specifies the steps that OEM and its partners would take in preparation for, during and immediately after emergency events take place.  Specifically, the plan must include the establishment of community recovery directors and deputies to be present in impacted areas and act as main points of contact for providing general services, fulfilling critical needs and communicating vital information in these communities.  Equally important, the community recovery plan must include ways for OEM to create a more unified and rapid recovery assistance operation, including how to leverage organizations, service providers, and volunteers and how to best utilize federal and state resources expeditiously.

OEM Reporting Bill (Int. No. 1075-A)

OEM is responsible for coordinating the City's response to emergencies, including coastal storms and other severe weather and natural disaster events. To meet those responsibilities, OEM has developed many plans, including a Coastal Storm Plan, which enables the City to prepare for emergencies, educate the public about preparedness, coordinate response and disseminate emergency information.

In an effort to enable the Council to be fully informed of all the work done by OEM and to allow the Council to be a proactive part of the City’s emergency response planning process, This bill requires OEM to provide the Council with copies of all the plans it has developed in relation to responding to coastal storms and other severe weather and natural disaster events. In addition, this legislation requires OEM to regularly assess these plans, either right after the plan has been activated, or at least once every two years, and make appropriate changes as a result of that assessment. Afterwards, OEM must provide the Council with any updates made to the plans. With this constant and thorough information, the Council will be able to meaningfully work with OEM prior to, during, and after emergency events to ensure that all New Yorkers are safe from harm.

Sandy Property Tax Rebate

In November, the Council, Mayor Bloomberg and Finance Commissioner David M. Frankel announced new property tax relief initiatives to assist New Yorkers whose homes were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. To provide immediate relief, the Finance Department, with the authorization of the City Council, issued an interest-free extension on property tax bills for damaged residential properties.

The Council and the Administration also together proposed legislation in Albany providing a rebate on FY 2013 real property taxes on the improved portion of real property damaged beyond repair or in need of extensive structural repairs for the portion of the fiscal year the property was damaged, which was two-thirds of the year. Working with the State Legislature, the bill passed, and Governor Cuomo is expected to sign it. Checks will be mailed in August with homeowners receiving a median rebate of $629, and commercial properties, $3,426.

Howard M. Pollack

Deputy Director, Community Outreach Division

Office of NYC Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn

250 Broadway  30th Floor

New York, N.Y.  10007

212.788.5660 - Phone

212.788.9106 - Fax