Yorktown Opens New Emergency Operations Center

From Town of Yorktown

Officials in Yorktown cut the ribbon Jan. 28 on the new state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located in the basement of the Yorktown Court/Police Department complex. An EOC is a centralized command center for key first responders to meet during an emergency to coordinate emergency response and disaster preparedness plans.

“The EOC will bring together town, state, county and federal officials, our police and highway department, the town’s two fire districts, school districts, ambulance corps, municipal liaisons from public utilities including Con Edison and NYSEG, and the Red Cross,” Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace said. “The facility was much needed and long overdue and will serve Yorktowners and the Northern Westchester Community well when faced with a local and/or regional emergency.”

The EOC is self-contained and includes communications equipment and has generator power. It is located adjacent to the police department, with access from the rear of the court building.

State Senator Terrence Murphy served as a council member on the Yorktown Town Board when the EOC was originally approved. “The new EOC will serve as a vital resource not only when responding to an emergency, but also for the most important elements of emergency management: planning, training and preparedness,” he said.

The Yorktown Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) works under the direction of the Yorktown Police Department to provide emergency information and run shelter operations when the need presents itself in the area. They will also benefit greatly from the new EOC.

Tom Diana, a former police officer and member of the CERT team, said the EOC will facilitate interagency and public-private coordination on critical facets of public safety. “This week’s snowstorm was a near-miss, but it is a comfort to know we have an EOC that can become operational on a moment’s notice in case of an emergency. This center will help save lives,” he said.

“As a past project superintendent and foreman for several major construction contractors involved in snow removal and ice management, I can appreciate the critical need for the EOC,” former council member Greg Bernard said. “The EOC will help coordinate our crews to maintain clean and safe roads during storms and other emergencies.”

The creation of an EOC facility was spearheaded by Supervisor Grace and former Councilman Terrence Murphy in conjunction with Chief McMahon and Police Officer Larry Eidelman. Previously, the Town lacked a dedicated facility and emergency and crisis management were performed out of ad hoc locations.

In a time where public emergencies can arise without warning, an EOC is a critical component in ensuring the public’s safety and well being, Grace noted. Municipalities like Yorktown are mandated to have an EOC by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.