N.Y. Executive Law 26 – Coordination of local disaster preparedness forces and local civil defense forces in disasters
§ 26. Coordination of local disaster preparedness forces and local civil defense forces in disasters. 1. Upon the threat or occurrence of a disaster, the chief executive of a county may coordinate responses for requests for assistance made by the chief executive of any political subdivision within the county.
Terms Used In N.Y. Executive Law 26
- chief executive: means :
(1) a county executive or manager of a county;
(2) in a county not having a county executive or manager, the chairman or other presiding officer of the county legislative body;
(3) a mayor of a city or village, except where a city or village has a manager, it shall mean such manager; and
(4) a supervisor of a town, except where a town has a manager, it shall mean such manager. See N.Y. Executive Law 20 - disaster: means occurrence or imminent, impending or urgent threat of wide spread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural or man-made causes, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, high water, landslide, mudslide, wind, storm, wave action, volcanic activity, epidemic, disease outbreak, air contamination, terrorism, cyber event, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, radiological accident, nuclear, chemical, biological, or bacteriological release, water contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse. See N.Y. Executive Law 20
- municipality: means a public corporation as defined in subdivision one of § 66 of the general construction law and a special district as defined in subdivision sixteen of § 102 of the real property tax law. See N.Y. Executive Law 20
2. Coordination of assistance shall utilize existing organizations and lines of authority and shall utilize any comprehensive emergency management plans prepared by the affected municipality.
3. A chief executive or any elected or appointed county, city, town or village official shall not be held responsible for acts or omissions of municipal employees, disaster preparedness forces or civil defense forces when performing disaster assistance pursuant to a declared disaster emergency or when exercising comprehensive emergency management plans.