2022 New York Laws
EXC - Executive
Article 2-B - State and Local Natural and Man-Made Disaster Preparedness
23 - Local Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans.

§ 23. Local  comprehensive emergency management plans. 1. Each county,
except those contained within the city of New York, and each city with a
population of  one  million  or  more,  shall  prepare  a  comprehensive
emergency  management plan. Each city with a population of less than one
million, town and village  is  authorized  to  prepare  a  comprehensive
emergency  management  plan.  The disaster preparedness commission shall
provide assistance and advice for the development of  such  plans.  Each
city  with  a population of less than one million, town and village plan
shall be coordinated with the county plan.
  2. The purpose of such plans  shall  be  to  minimize  the  effect  of
disasters  by  (i)  identifying  appropriate  local  measures to prevent
disasters, (ii) developing mechanisms to coordinate  the  use  of  local
resources  and  manpower  for service during and after disasters and the
delivery  of  services  to  aid  citizens  and  reduce  human  suffering
resulting  from  a  disaster,  and  (iii)  providing  for  recovery  and
redevelopment after disasters.
  3. Plans for coordination of resources, manpower  and  services  shall
provide  for  a  centralized  coordination and direction of requests for
assistance.
  4. Plans for coordination of assistance shall provide for  utilization
of existing organizations and lines of authority.
  5.  In  preparing such plans, cooperation, advice and assistance shall
be sought from local government officials, regional and  local  planning
agencies,  police  agencies,  fire departments and fire companies, local
emergency  management  agencies,  commercial  and  volunteer   ambulance
services,   health  and  social  services  officials,  community  action
agencies, the chief administrator of the courts, organizations  for  the
elderly  and  the  handicapped,  agencies and organizations that provide
home health care  services,  agencies  and  organizations  that  provide
hospice  services,  other interested groups and the general public. Such
advice and assistance may be obtained through public  hearings  held  on
public  notice,  or  through  other  appropriate  and practical methods,
through which such aforementioned  groups  may  offer  their  input  for
consideration  on  issues  that  support  the  effective preparation and
execution of the plan. In  addition,  in  the  case  of  home  care  and
hospice,  such  input may address procedures by which such providers may
be granted  essential  access  to  care  for  such  patients  during  an
emergency.
  6. All plans for comprehensive emergency management developed by local
governments   or  any  revisions  thereto  shall  be  submitted  to  the
commission by December thirty-first of each  year  to  facilitate  state
coordination of disaster operations.
  7. Such plans shall include, but not be limited to:
  a.  Disaster  prevention and mitigation. Plans to prevent and minimize
the effects of disasters shall include, but not be limited to:
  (1) identification of hazards and assessment of risk;
  (2) recommended disaster prevention and mitigation projects, policies,
priorities and programs, with suggested implementation schedules,  which
outline federal, state and local roles;
  (3) suggested revisions and additions to building and safety codes and
zoning and other land use programs;
  (4)  such  other measures as reasonably can be taken to protect lives,
prevent disasters, and reduce their impact.
  b. Disaster response. Plans to coordinate the  use  of  resources  and
manpower  for service during and after disasters and to deliver services
to aid citizens and reduce human suffering  resulting  from  a  disaster
shall include, but not be limited to:
  (1) coordination of resources, manpower and services, using recognized
practices  in  incident management, utilizing existing organizations and
lines of authority and centralized direction of requests for assistance;
  (2)    the    location,    procurement,    construction,   processing,
transportation, storing, maintenance, renovation, distribution, disposal
or use  of  materials,  including  those  donated,  and  facilities  and
services which may be required in time of disaster;
  (3) a system for warning populations who are or may be endangered;
  (4)  arrangements  for  activating  municipal  and  volunteer  forces,
through normal chains of command so far as possible, and  for  continued
communication and reporting;
  (5)  a specific plan for rapid and efficient communication and for the
integration  of  local  communication  facilities  during   a   disaster
including  the  assignment  of responsibilities and the establishment of
communication priorities and liaison with municipal, private, state  and
federal communication facilities;
  (6)  a  plan  for  coordination  evacuation  procedures  including the
establishment of temporary housing and other necessary facilities;
  (7)  criteria  for  establishing  priorities  with  respect   to   the
restoration of vital services and debris removal;
  (8)  plans  for  the  continued  effective  operation of the civil and
criminal justice systems;
  (9) provisions for training local government personnel and  volunteers
in disaster response operations;
  (10) providing information to the public;
  (11) care for the injured and needy and identification and disposition
of the dead;
  (12)  utilization  and  coordination  of programs to assist victims of
disasters, with particular attention to  the  needs  of  the  poor,  the
elderly,  individuals  with  disabilities  and other groups which may be
especially affected;
  (13) control of ingress and  egress  to  and  from  a  disaster  area,
including but not limited to, exempting from travel bans those essential
private  and  public personnel, as determined by the commission, who are
summoned by their employers to assist in  emergency  services,  such  as
utility  and other workers who need to reach declared emergency areas in
order to perform tasks related to the restoration and/or maintenance  of
energy and communications infrastructure;
  (14) arrangements to administer state and federal disaster assistance;
  (15)  procedures  under which the county, city, town, village or other
political subdivision and emergency organization personnel and resources
will be used in the event of a disaster;
  (16) a system for  obtaining  and  coordinating  disaster  information
including  the  centralized  assessment  of  local  disaster effects and
resultant needs;
  (17) continued operation of governments of political subdivisions; and
  (18) utilization and coordination of programs  to  assist  individuals
with  household  pets  and  service  animals  following a disaster, with
particular attention to means of evacuation, shelter and  transportation
options.
  c.  Recovery.  Local  plans  to provide for recovery and redevelopment
after disasters shall include, but not be limited to:
  (1)  recommendations  for  replacement,  reconstruction,  removal   or
relocation  of  damaged  or  destroyed  public  or  private  facilities,
proposed new or amendments to zoning, subdivision, building, sanitary or
fire prevention regulations and recommendations for economic development
and community development  in  order  to  minimize  the  impact  of  any
potential future disasters on the community.
  (2)  provision  for  cooperation  with  state  and federal agencies in
recovery efforts.
  (3)  provisions for training and educating local disaster officials or
organizations in the preparation of applications for federal  and  state
disaster recovery assistance.