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July 07, 2006
New Plan Opens More Queens Shelters
Many political officials had criticized the city's previous evacuation plan after cities like New Orleans and Houston seemed to underestimate the difficult of mass evacuations. During a series of public hearings on the topic, officials said the City's plan relied too heavily on public transportation and did not adequately address the needs of elderly and disabled residents.
The new plan clearly makes an effort to address those concerns. OEM officials say they have learned from the experiences of local responders sent to help federal agencies during Katrina and Rita, applying those lessons to their updated strategy.
More attention will also be placed on ensuring the readiness of vulnerable populations in nursing homes and hospitals. The Fire Department will visit those facilities up to 72 hours prior to an evacuation order to determine their preparedness.
"We need to make sure our most vulnerable are safe in case of emergency," said Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), chairman of the Council Public Safety Committee. "We need to learn from New Orleans, where they suffered the deadliest effects of not being prepared. It was almost inexcusable what the government allowed to happen... and in New York City, it’s not going to happen here."
Posted by Michelle at July 7, 2006 11:04 AM