To learn more about OEM, go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/about/about.shtml
To learn about NYC hazards, go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/hazards/hazards.shtml
Emergency Response
Emergencies in a city as large and complex as New York require a coordinated response. OEM works to ensure information gathering, decision making, and resource allocations are carried out efficiently.
CITYWIDE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: New York City uses the Citywide Incident Management System (CIMS) to define roles and responsibilities and designate authority for City, state, and other government entities, and non-profit and private sector organizations that perform and support emergency response. CIMS is designed to be scalable, facilitating the integration of additional organizations, such as private sector and non-profit entities.
INCIDENT MONITORING: OEM tracks incidents affecting New York City 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through its Watch Command, OEM monitors radio frequencies used by the City's emergency responders, local and national news, weather conditions, and 911 calls, among other communications channels. It also maintains the City's communication link with local, state, and federal agencies, and notifies City officials when incidents or issues of concern arise.
FIELD OPERATIONS: OEM's Citywide Interagency Coordinators (CICs), highly trained emergency response personnel from the Police and Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Services, the Department of Sanitation, and the Office of Emergency Management, work around the clock to ensure emergency response plans are followed safely and efficiently. OEM sends CICs to larger incidents to facilitate interagency communication and resource requests. The CICs also ensure responding agencies follow incident command protocols. In the event of a serious disaster involving the collapse of heavy concrete and steel, FEMA will activate New York- Task Force 1, the Urban Search and Rescue team made up of elite responders from New York City's emergency services.
VEHICLES: OEM uses four special vehicles to respond to incidents in New York City. The Mobile CIMS Center serves as a mobile field office for City agencies and other emergency officials/personnel responding to a large disaster. The Incident Comand Center provides OEM with an on-scene emergency command center to coordinate the deployment of resources between multiple agencies. The Mobile Data Center is a custom-built bus designed to accommodate day-to-day geographic information systems (GIS) and data collection operations. The Interagency Communications Vehicle is designed to be a quick, communications and scene-support vehicle. It can gather critical information and relay it to the other vehicles.
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER: During major emergencies and special events, OEM activates the City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC). With space for more than 130 representatives from local, state, and federal agencies and private and non-profit entities, the EOC functions as a central clearinghouse for information coordination, resource requests, and decision making.
PUBLIC INFORMATION: During an emergency, OEM works to ensure agencies involved in an emergency response provide a unified, accurate, and timely message to the public. OEM delivers emergency warnings through the broadcast media using the City's emergency public communication systems, and provides e-mail alerts about current emergencies to subscribers. In December 2007, OEM and the Department for Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) launched Notify NYC, a program to enhance the delivery of information as emergencies happen. During large-scale emergencies, OEM opens a Joint Information Center to coordinate outreach to the media.
RECOVERY AND RELIEF: Following an emergency, OEM works with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide assistance to diaster victims and manage relief efforts, donations, and spontaneous volunteers. OEM uses the Citywide Asset and Logisitics Management System (CALMS) to manage the City's emergency resources and essential skills. CALMS integrates multiple resource management systems and provides a single view of the resources managed or accessible to response agencies.
Notify NYC
Notify NYC is the City of New York’s official source for information about emergency events and important City services. Notify NYC is offered for informational purposes to help make the public aware of emergencies and other planned incidents in New York City. While the City of New York will at all times attempt to provide accurate and timely information, under the circumstances, the City cannot guarantee its accuracy or timeliness
Registrants can select five notification types for up to five ZIP codes across NYC.
- Emergency Alerts – messages about life-threatening events that may require immediate action. All registrants are automatically added to this list.
- Significant Events Notifications – important information about emergency events, utility outages and other types of high-impact events in your ZIP code.
- Public Health Notifications – information about important public health issues in your community
- Public School Closing/Delay Advisories – updates about unscheduled public school closings, delays and early dismissals
- Unscheduled Parking Rules Suspensions – updates about unscheduled suspensions of citywide parking rules
Registration is free and simple. Follow the registration link to create your account: https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/NotifyNYC/Enrollment/Default.aspx
Planning for Emergencies
OEM develops contingency plans that guide New York City's response to natural and man-made emergencies, from extreme weather to labor disputes. Each plan focuses on three components of a disaster: preparedness, initial response, and recovery. The purpose of these plans is to keep New York City safe and, following a disaster, to return residents to their daily routines as quickly as possible.
When a plan is activated, OEM coordinates the skills of City, state, federal, and non-governmental agencies, to ensure the plan is effectively carried out. Large-scale citywide emergencies, like a transit strike or a coastal storm, can require the collaboration of dozens of agencies and thousands of emergency responders. Smaller incidents, such as localized power outages or water main breaks, may only require a handful of agencies to complete restoration.
OEM reviews, tests, and revises these plans as intelligence and resources change. The agency enlists subject matter experts from all City agencies, including the Police and Fire Departments, and other non-city groups to advise on aspects of each plan.
The following links highlight the City's guidelines to handle a few possible emergencies:
2011 Snow Preparedness and Response Report
2009 Hazard Mitigation Plan
Coastal Storm Plan
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
A New York City Population Analysis
Utilities Disruptions Guide
Emergency Flash Flood Plan
NYC Citizen Corps Council
The NYC Citizen Corps Council is part of the national Citizen Corps initiative to bring together local leaders from community organizations, government, the private sector, and volunteer programs. The Council promotes grassroots emergency preparedness and volunteerism and helps enable New Yorkers to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
Volunteer Development Program
Trained volunteers who understand how to work together increase our community resiliency. The best time to build this capacity is now. For upcoming events, visit the Volunteer Development Program.
Immigrant Task Force Speaker Series
For nonprofit and community organizations working with immigrants and LEP individuals, the Speaker Series is designed to prepare organizations for the unexpected roles they may play for their clients and constituents in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. For upcoming events, visit the Immigrant Task Force Speaker Series.
NYC Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
NYC CERT members undergo an intensive 10-week training program that raises awareness about emergencies and disasters and provides basic response skills needed for fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, and traffic control. After graduating, teams support their local communities by assisting with emergency education and response.
Emergency services personnel are the best equipped to respond to disasters. NYC CERT is trained to support the efforts of New York City's first responders. This program works because residents know their communities best. During non-emergency situations, NYC CERTs educate their communities on emergency preparedness by working with the Ready New York program and building community disaster networks.
OEM is always looking for new CERT volunteers who want to help their families, friends, neighbors, and communities before, during, and after emergencies. The 10-week basic CERT training is held twice a year at locations throughout the five boroughs. Contact OEM's CERT staff to apply and learn more about how to get involved.
For more information or to get in contact with your local team, download a copy of the brochure, contact OEM's CERT staff, or call the CERT hotline at 718-422-8585. |
