Emergency Preparedness

The Rockland County Department of Fire & Emergency Services responds to natural disasters such as snowstorms, floods, and hurricanes and technical disasters such as chemical spills, and hazardous materials incidents. We provide 911 service for the residents of Rockland County where we dispatch fire companies and ambulance squads. We also conduct Indian Point drills on a regular basis. We also respond to requests for emergency disaster assistance from municipalities throughout the county.

This assistance can include:

• On-scene support to local incident commanders during emergencies
• Use of the county's Emergency Operations Center to manage assets and resources deployed in a large-scale disaster
• Serves as a conduit for acquiring assistance and support at the state and federal levels

Additionally, we are responsible for the county's preparedness activities. we works daily with local, state, federal and private sector partners in emergency management to plan and prepare for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional responses to all natural or man-made disasters.

Weather Emergencies

• Hurricane
• Preparing for Hurricanes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Flooding
• Thunderstorms
• Tornado
• Snow/Blizzard
• Winter Weather Awareness

Hazard Mitigation

Our office recently coordinated the development of a multi-jurisdictional natural hazard mitigation plan funded through a FEMA grant which allows jurisdictions to apply for FEMA grant monies and will reduce economic damages resulting from future natural disasters.

Local Emergency Planning Committee

The local committee's primary responsibility was to develop an emergency response plan for Rockland County and to establish procedures for receiving and processing public requests for information concerning chemicals and chemical spills within the county. The county's hazardous materials response plan was completed in October 1988. The plan was rewritten in the fall of 1991 and is revised annually.

The Essential Emergency Manager

One of the greatest challenges for emergency managers is proving their value to elected officials, the tax paying public and even to each other. When they get that quizzical look from the budget people and the pointed question from public leaders, "What does the office of emergency management do. . . exactly?" they sometimes struggle to communicate this information effectively.

According to some emergency managers, the complication is that emergency management is like insurance with an associated daily cost that no one wants to pay up front but whose value becomes apparent only when really bad things happen. Worse yet, because their primary mission is to enable effective action by others, it's precisely when they are doing their jobs well that they are almost invisible!

This short Essential Emergency Manager video is the NY-NJ-CT-PA RCPT's shot at explaining what they do and how they do it.

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