New York overhauls emergency response capabilities post-Irene

From Homeland Security News Wire:

Emergency response

27 February 2012

Last week New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a series of major initiatives to bolster the state’s emergency response capabilities; the proposals specifically incorporate lessons learned from the state’s response to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee

Downed power lines were only part of the difficulty in responding to Irene // Source: banglabazar.co.in

“We learned from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee that we must be ready and have the capabilities to respond to all emergencies. Our state’s first responders are second to none, but they need a highly coordinated network to support them,” Cuomo said. “Today we are launching a series of new actions to ensure that our first responders are properly equipped to respond quickly and effectively in an emergency anywhere and anytime.”

To that end, Cuomo has proposedcreating five Regional Disaster Logistics Centers that will stockpile necessary equipment and serve as staging areas for multiple state and local agencies and the National Guard. These staging grounds will help ensure that critical equipment and resources are in place before an emergency hits....

More here.