Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today visited New York City's temporary Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Richard J. Sheirer led a tour of the facility, which was also attended by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta. OEM, which develops emergency plans for the City and implements training programs and exercises to enhance their effectiveness, will occupy a two-story building located on Water Street, near the Brooklyn-side anchorages of the Brooklyn Bridge. The temporary EOC became operational last week.

"The Office of Emergency Management has played an indispensable role in planning and coordinating responses to emergencies in New York City and it demonstrated its effectiveness to the entire world on September 11 and the days that followed," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Until a new Command Center can be constructed, this temporary facility will allow OEM to work with agencies on the City, State and Federal levels to make sure that we are as prepared as we possibly can be to respond to any emergency situation. New Yorkers can rest assured that our emergency service workers have the tools to watch over our City, day and night."

"The tragic events of September 11, 2001, made public safety and homeland security top priorities for both the City of New York and the United States," Commissioner Sheirer said. "OEM's move to this new temporary facility symbolizes the City's ongoing commitment to efficiency and accountability, while allowing the agency to continue providing the City of New York with the finest in emergency management planning and preparedness. Clearly, the best defense against disaster is planning and preparedness, and with the construction of this temporary Emergency Operations Center, the City of New York has taken yet another step toward continuing to be the best-prepared city in the world."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the City for the approximately $3.8 million of costs associated with the construction of this center. The center is a 40,000 square foot facility to be staffed by emergency management personnel. It contains an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that makes it possible for City, State, Federal, and private agencies and organizations to work closely together in the event of a natural, technological, or terrorist emergency in New York City. Initially designed for 100 representatives, the EOC may be expanded to accommodate an additional 100 emergency management personnel. The facility has a back-up power generator, and a weather station and monitoring system. In addition, the new facility maintains a complete Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping Unit and a 24-hour Watch Command center.

From September 13, 2001 until last week, OEM operated from the Pier 92 of the Passenger Ship Terminal on Manhattan's West Side. Established in 1996 as the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management and elevated to the status of a Charter agency in November 2001, OEM is New York City's on-scene coordinator at all emergency incidents that require a multi-agency response.