Senate Resolution No. 1613

BY: Senator HARCKHAM

RECOGNIZING September 17-23, 2023, as Emergency
Management Professionals and Community Emergency
Response Team Appreciation Week

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing
official weeks which celebrate the vital work and knowledge Emergency
Management Professionals and Community Emergency Response Teams bring
during disaster situations and which greatly affect the lives of the
citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize
September 17-23, 2023, as Emergency Management Professionals and
Community Emergency Response Team Appreciation Week, in conjunction with
the observance of National Preparedness Month; and

WHEREAS, Emergencies and disasters can strike anywhere, at any time;
and

WHEREAS, This vital week recognizes the steadfast and unwavering
dedication of emergency management professionals and Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) members who work tirelessly to manage incidents
impacting our communities, counties, states and nation such as natural
and human caused disasters, technological hazards and pandemics; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, when these professionals are not managing
incidents, they are supporting community awareness and preparedness
efforts, as well as continuously planning for various types of incidents
and emergencies; and

WHEREAS, Emergency management coordinators and their staff dedicate
countless hours to developing preparedness and response programs to
protect the lives and property of residents; and

WHEREAS, Emergency management personnel across the state are charged
with establishing and maintaining the capability to effectively direct,
control, and coordinate emergency and disaster response and recovery
efforts that impact New York State residents; and

WHEREAS, Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery are the
four main phases of activities that emergency managers implement to
create a successful emergency management program; and

WHEREAS, The first CERT team was created in 1986 with the goal of
creating citizen volunteers equipped to provide assistance during
disaster response; CERT graduates go through a nationally approved
training program to learn about fire safety, light search and rescue,
first aid and CPR, traffic management, team organization, and disaster
medical operations; and

WHEREAS, Today, there are more than 2,800 CERT programs across the
country; the assistance provided by these volunteers frees up
professional emergency responders to focus on more specialized tasks
during a crisis; and


WHEREAS, Sufficient gratitude cannot be expressed to all those
individuals who generously give of their time and talents, working to
keep their communities safe; and

WHEREAS, Special recognition should be given to those who work so
assiduously for the betterment of their communities, and they should be
acknowledged publicly for the good works they do for the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize September 17-23, 2023, as Emergency Management Professionals
and Community Emergency Response Team Appreciation Week; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Emergency Management Professionals and Community
Emergency Response Team members and organizations across the State of
New York.