December, 3 2005

The RIOC Column
by Herbert E. Berman
President Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.
e-mail: HBerman@rioc.com

In my September, 2005, column, I highlighted the work of the Roosevelt Island Community Emergency Management Committee. This Committee is made up of representatives of RIOC, the housing management companies, Island organizations, RIRA, Community Board 8, Speaker Miller’s Office, and State and City Emergency Planning offices. The Committee has met monthly since last spring to develop a coordinated Island plan.

It is important to keep in mind that Roosevelt Island is part of the City and State’s emergency planning. What that means is that, for instance, if an evacuation of the City was mandated, City resources would be brought forth to evacuate Island residents to designated shelters. The City and State plans incorporate the use of boats and all other means necessary to evacuate residents of the City that live on islands (Roosevelt is not the only City island). Some residents believe that the Island should be self-sustaining in an emergency. A representative from the City Emergency Management Office who spoke at the last meeting of the Committee highlighted that this is exactly what island communities do not want to do – isolate themselves from emergency services and assistance. Isolating yourself makes it harder for emergency personnel to reach you. As we all witnessed in New Orleans, the many people who opted to remain in their homes actually created more dangerous situations for themselves and the emergency personnel who had to rescue them.

Therefore, a plan for Roosevelt Island should seek to enhance/complement the City/State Emergency planning efforts. Each of the groups on the Roosevelt Island Emergency Management Committee has been asked to develop their own individual emergency management plan that addresses its own area of responsibilities. Many people believe that RIOC is responsible for all aspects – this is not true. Housing Management Companies, for instance, have the responsibility to ensure basic services within the buildings, such as emergency lighting, etc. What we all seek to do is coordinate our efforts and share our resources Islandwide. This brings to bear the best of everyone in emergency situations.

I would like to share with the Roosevelt Island community the key components of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s plan. Soon, this plan will be available on our website as well as a Question and Answer section on what to do in emergencies.

In any City designated emergency, RIOC is responsible for ensuring:

• communications both by telephone and on-site with the Public Safety Department so Island residents can contact Public Safety for assistance;
• transportation – maintaining the Island bus and Tram transportation systems, as much as possible, to assist residents in reaching their destination;
• warehouse operations to make available RIOC resources (e.g., gasoline or generators) to housing management to address emergency situations;
• illumination of Main Street from Manhattan Park to the subway to ensure resident safety;
• safety of RIOC employees;
• coordination of a Emergency Communications Center, as needed.

This is an overview of the plan for RIOC. For instance, the plan articulates that RIOC bus transportation would assist City transportation in evacuating residents should that be necessary. If public transportation is unavailable, RIOC bus routes will be adjusted to pick up residents at the top of the Roosevelt Island bridge ramp should they be forced to walk. I hope sharing information about what the Corporation is responsible for will aid residents.

The Corporation plans an emergency drill to test our procedures on December 14. You may notice large generator lights along Main Street. We don’t want residents to be alarmed. An emergency drill helps us ensure our procedures work successfully and can be put into place quickly in an emergency situation.

During the recent telephone outage, RIOC notified NYPD and NYFD and secured additional patrols on the Island throughout the outage. Our responsibility is in the overall safety of our residents, working collaboratively with housing management and the various Island organizations.

The Committee is encouraging the establishment of a CERT team on the Island. A CERT team is a trained group of residents who can provide valuable assistance in an emergency and augment services available. RIOC will be hosting an information session in January in anticipation of training which begins in February 2006. More information will be forthcoming. I hope Island residents will consider participating on a CERT team. It can be an essential part of an effective community emergency plan.