US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

 
    §  497.  Powers and duties of the commissioner. The commissioner shall
  have  cognizance  and  control  of   the   government,   administration,
  disposition  and  discipline  of  the department. The commissioner shall
  have the powers and duties to:
    a. coordinate the city's response  to  all  emergency  conditions  and
  potential incidents which require a multi-agency response, including but
  not  limited to severe weather, threats from natural hazards and natural
  disasters, power and other public service outages,  labor  unrest  other
  than  the  keeping  of  the peace, water main breaks, transportation and
  transit incidents, hazardous substance discharges,  building  collapses,
  aviation  disasters,  explosions,  acts  of  terrorism  and  such  other
  emergency conditions  and  incidents  which  affect  public  health  and
  safety;
    b.  monitor on a constant basis all potential emergency conditions and
  potential incidents which may require a multi-agency response;
    c. coordinate and implement training programs for  public  safety  and
  health,  including  emergency  response drills, to prepare for emergency
  conditions and potential incidents  which  may  require  a  multi-agency
  response;
    d.  prepare plans for responding to emergency conditions and potential
  incidents, including but not limited to plans for the implementation  of
  such  emergency orders as may be approved by the mayor to protect public
  safety and facilitate the rapid response and  mobilization  of  agencies
  and resources;
    e.  make  recommendations to the mayor concerning the city's emergency
  response capabilities and concerning  the  city's  capacity  to  address
  potential emergency conditions and potential incidents;
    f.  increase  public  awareness  as  to  the  appropriate responses by
  members of the public to emergency conditions and  potential  incidents,
  and  review  the  city's  systems  for  disseminating information to the
  public;
    g. operate an emergency  operations  center  to  assist  the  city  in
  managing emergency conditions and potential incidents that may require a
  multi-agency response;
    h. hold regular and frequent meetings of designated emergency response
  personnel  of  all city agencies that are determined by the commissioner
  to have a direct or support role in the city's management  of  emergency
  conditions  and  potential  incidents  which  may require a multi-agency
  response;
    i.  acquire  federal  and  other  funding  for  emergency  management,
  including  but  not  limited  to disaster relief, and civil defense, and
  assist other agencies in obtaining such funding;
    j. coordinate with all city agencies to ensure that all such  agencies
  develop  and  implement  emergency  response  plans  in  connection with
  planning major city events;
    k. coordinate with state, federal and  other  governmental  bodies  to
  effectuate the purposes of the department;
    l.  coordinate the operation of the local emergency planning committee
  established pursuant to Title III of the  federal  Superfund  Amendments
  and Reauthorization Act;
    m.  coordinate New York city's civil defense effort in accordance with
  the provisions of the Defense Emergency Act of New York  state  and  the
  city's  civil  defense  emergency  operations  plan, as such plan may be
  amended from time to time;
    n. perform all other functions  previously  performed  by  the  former
  office of emergency management and the emergency control board; and
    o.  promulgate  such  rules  and  regulations  as  may be necessary to
  implement the provisions of this chapter.