NYCHA Takes Major Steps to Improve Emergency Response
As NYCHA continues to fundamentally change the way it does business as part of NextGeneration NYCHA, the Authority released an end-of-year report detailing NYCHA’s responses to emergency events in 2015 and other preparedness updates.
The NYCHA Office of Emergency Preparedness, which was created last year, has taken major steps to overhaul NYCHA’s planning for major emergencies, ensuring the Authority is better aligned with the City’s planning measures. With a new emergency management structure and a more comprehensive approach to planning, NYCHA has made great strides in emergency preparedness and operational resiliency, with more improvements planned for this year.
“Superstorm Sandy changed the way the entire City looks at preparedness and response capabilities,” said General Manager Michael Kelly. “When tested with potentially devastating natural disasters to health emergencies like Legionella in 2015, NYCHA rose to the challenge and put our new structure and plans into action. We’ve shown considerable progress and plan to build on our successes to enhance preparedness, training and communications in 2016.”
Emergency Management Plan
NYCHA’s Office of Emergency Preparedness is directing NYCHA’s large-scale emergency preparedness and response efforts through the development of the Authority’s first-ever master emergency plan—the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). The CEMP integrates multiple plans to manage specific hazards NYCHA may face. As new threats to people and property surface, new plans are developed for inclusion into the CEMP, which also outlines roles and responsibilities of operational personnel and support providers.
[We] plan to build on our successes to enhance preparedness, training, and communications in 2016. – GM Michael Kelly
Resident Preparedness
New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) provided emergency preparedness training sessions targeted to NYCHA senior citizens and residents in hurricane evacuation zones through the Ready New York program. NYCHA also worked to recruit residents to become NYC Community Emergency Response Team volunteers through a NYCEM, NYPD, and FDNY program that trains New Yorkers to help prepare their neighbors and communities for different types of disasters.
Activities in 2015
In 2015, key NYCHA emergency preparedness activities and reforms included:
- Planning and response to four major emergency and security events:
- Winter Storm Juno (Jan.);
- Legionella detection at Melrose Houses (Sept.);
- Papal visit to New York City (Sept.); and o Hurricane Joaquin (Oct.).
- Creating 10 major emergency plans for the CEMP that ranged from dissemination of critical information to plans outlining the continuation of operations for each NYCHA department in the event of a major disruption.
- Leading or participating in more than 20 internal and external trainings and exercises while NYCHA continues to update planning materials.
