NYSAC News Fall 2016: Emergency Preparedness & Response by NYS Association of Counties

NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

Emergency Preparedness & Response Volume 37, Issue 3 | Fall 2016

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President’s Page NYSAC OFFICERS From the NYSAC President, Hon. William Cherry

Hon. William Cherry, Schoharie County President Hon. MaryEllen Odell, Putnam County President-Elect Hon. Kathleen M. Jimino, Rensselaer County First Vice President Charles H. Nesbitt, Jr., Orleans County Second Vice President Hon. Anthony J. Picente, Oneida County Immediate Past President

MEMBERS Hon. John LaPointe, Washington County www.co.washington.ny.us Hon. Joanie Mahoney, Onondaga County www.ongov.net Hon. Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County www.nassaucountyny.gov Hon. Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County www.dutchessny.gov Hon. Christopher Moss, Chemung County www.chemungcounty.com Hon. Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County www2.erie.gov Hon. Scott B. Samuelson, Sullivan County www.co.sullivan.ny.us Hon. Martha Sauerbrey, Tioga County www.tiogacountyny.com Hon. Bill de Blasio, Office of the Mayor NYC www.nyc.gov

s I head into my first full term as your president, I have come to understand and appreciate our Association and its role and purpose in a new way. Our mission is to educate, represent, advocate and serve the counties of New York, and I think our small staff hits the mark on all accounts. We have been doing this for over 90 years. From providing excellent advocacy and relations with the state, to creating a shared services clearinghouse of information between and amongst the 62 counties of New York, our Association does valuable work. Quite simply, NYSAC was formed by our predecessors in 1925 so that we could learn from each other and bring our ideas and concerns to the state and federal government. And I am happy to report that almost a hundred years later, your Association is continuing to serve that same mission and your Association is thriving. In addition to our ongoing legislative advocacy efforts, in the past few months alone, our Association has put out timely and valuable research reports on:  Population trends and how they are

impacting the makeup of our communities;  New York’s heroin and opioid epidem-

ic, and how counties are responding; PARLIAMENTARIANS Hon. Herman Geist, Esq., Westchester County www.westchestergov.com

Hon. A. Douglas Berwanger, Wyoming County www.wyomingco.net

 How the state’s new broadband

program aims to provide universal high speed Internet access;  How we fund 911 services in NYS,

and the need for directing more state resources;

 Ways to preserve our critical Local

DMV offices. All of these and others are available on NYSAC’s website. The Association has also developed terrific cost-saving and revenue-generating programs for us to use as we continue to govern in this tax environment. These programs include:  Low-cost top rated insurance through

NYMIR;  New health insurance option for

retirees;  A purchasing card program, and  A vertical asset/cell tower program.

NYSAC works to protect and strengthen our fiscal fitness, which is particularly critical as we govern through challenging economic environments. As I look back over this past year, and other recent years, we have had many successes in the state legislative process, including an historic mandate relief bill through the state Legislature, to have the state assume the local share of the cost for the public defense of the indigent. But, I can tell you also that our board of directors and staff are not resting on this accomplishment or others. We are continuing to work for mandate relief, more flexible home rule authority, and an array of other programs intended to help us all more effectively serve our citizens. I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president and I look forward to working with you over the coming months.

 Indigent Legal Defense Service reforms;

www.nysac.org 5

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Director’s Note NYSAC STAFF

From the Executive Director, Stephen J. Acquario

(partial listing) Stephen J. Acquario, Esq. Executive Director Karen Catalfamo Office/Financial Manager Nicole Correia Communication Coordinator Patrick Cummings, Esq. Counsel Jackie Dederick Records Manager Patricia Gettings Assistant to the Director Katie Hohman Program Specialist Mark LaVigne Deputy Director Dave Lucas Director of Finance & Intergovernmental Relations Jill Luther Program Administrator Juanita Munguia Marketing Specialist Jeanette Stanziano Director of Education & Training Tammy Thomas Communication Assistant Receptionist

Cultivating a Continuously Improving Public Sector Culture

YSAC’s mission is to represent, educate, advocate for and serve New York’s county officials, and I am fortunate to work with a great many dedicated public servants, who work day in and day out to make our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family. Together, we in the NYSAC family have been doing this for nearly 100 years. One of the new management catch phrases is the need to pay attention to “weak signals.” Weak signals are messages in our environment that often go ignored, but could be the signal for bigger causes for concern in the future. Weak signals can be picked up through an environmental scan that is conducted to explore existing trends and emerging developments that are happening around our organizations, which in our case is New York’s county governments. How we handle these weak signals defines us as leaders. One of our roles at the Association is to be continuously scanning our collective county environments so that we can pick up any weak signals that may foreshadow things to come. And then we need to share those findings with our members and state policy leaders and lawmakers A clear example of this can be found in the recently released NYSAC demographics

report, which provides a snapshot of highlevel population and economic trends that should be heeded in local and state policy making decisions. Did you know that only six counties have gained population in each decade since 1970? And that 43 counties lost population from 2011 to 2015? There is more on this in the article on page 15. Another signal that we have honed in on recently is the gap in funding for our 9-11 emergency communication systems to meet the needs of our citizens. We are receiving significantly more cell phone calls, texts, images, and videos for emergency services than ever before, and our 9-1-1 systems and first responders need to be able to accept all of those different calls for help. For more on rescuing 9-1-1, see the article on page 17. Another signal that we have been receiving consistently over the past four election cycles is a dramatic turnover in county workforce. That may not be new to you as you look at your own county employee makeup, but we have seen half of the elected county officials turn over in just a few short years. We thank those that served and welcome the many new public servants who have chosen to serve the public. Thank you to all of you for your dedicated service to New York, and thank you for working with NYSAC to make New York the Empire State.

www.nysac.org 9

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PUB L IS H ED 3 TIMES A YEAR President • Hon. William E. Cherry Publisher • Stephen J. Acquario Managing Editor • Mark F. LaVigne Editor • Nicole M. Correia Staff Writers • Patrick Cummings, Dave Lucas, and Jill Luther

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Send submissions to mlavigne@nysac.org. Submissions should be 750 to 1,000 words and include a high resolution photo of the author. All submissionsare subject to editing for clarity, content and/or length. The advertisments and articles in NYSAC News in no way imply support or endorsementby NYSAC for any of the products, services or messages conveyed herein.

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Table of Contents

Fall 2016

NYSAC News • Volume 37, Issue 3

NYSAC Informs with e-news publications: NYSAC Weekly Wire Emailed every week during the Legislative Session. Highlights county-related issues and activities that are taking place in Albany. Counties in the News Daily news updates from counties across the state, compiled by NYSAC and delivered to your inbox every day. To sign up visit www.nysac.org

Target Your Market!

Advertise with NYSAC

NYSAC Report: Population Trends in New York State

Emergency Preparedness & Response

17 19

A Distress Call to Rescue 9-1-1

SNS Exercise Planning: Phasing in Best Practices

Expanding Efforts to Treat Opioid Overdoses

Cover Photo Credit • Schoharie County

Air Medical in New York: A Crucial Link

The Sheriff and a State of “Special” Emergency

Emergency Preparedness & Response in Wyoming County

A National Model for Sound Solid Waste Management: The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority

If It Keeps On Rainin’ Levee’s

Goin’ to Break

Flood Maps:

What Communities Need to Know

Improving Highway Safety Across New York State

Innovative Disaster Solutions in Cattaraugus County

Thank You: Sponsors & Exhibitors

Local Laws: Counsel’s Corner

NYSAC Scenes: Photos

S2AY Rural Health Network: Collaboration of Public Health Departments Enables Rapid Response

contact NYSAC Marketing Specialist Juanita Munguia at 518-465-1473 or jmunguia@nysac.org www.nysac.org 13

it is noble it is lifesaving it is beautiful it is organ donation

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Population Trends in New York State By Dave Lucas, NYSAC Director of Finance and Intergovernmental Relations

n 1960, New York State had the highest population in the nation with about 16.8 million people. By 1970, the rapid population growth in California had positioned that state as the most populace and New York dropped to second with about 18.2 million people. The 1970’s was a tumultuous decade for many urban and heavily industrialized states. New York, along with other similarly situated states, saw significant population losses during that decade. New York City’s population alone dropped by more than 1 million people during the 1970’s as suburban communities blossomed and there was a large migration to southern states and the West Coast.

from New York. While New York should retain its number four ranking for some time to come, the rate of population growth over the last 55 years as compared to the rest of the nation is a cause for concern. The growth trend for New York has not improved in recent years as the state remained in the bottom five in population growth and dropped from fifth lowest growth rate to fourth lowest growth rate for the 2010 through 2015 period. In addition to changing growth trends across states, a similar dynamic plays out at the county level in New York. Population trends across counties have varied significantly over the years, but most counties have experienced population loss since 2010.

New York State would not surpass its 1970 population for 30 years until the 2000 census. Through the 2010 census, New York managed to cling to its third most populous state ranking, but by the end of 2014 the Census Bureau estimated that Florida took away the number three spot

Continued on page 16

2010 - 2040 Population Projections* Clinton

Franklin

- Population Loss (44) St. Lawrence

- Population Gain (18)

Essex

Jefferson

Lewis

Hamilton Warren Washington

Oswego Niagara

Orleans

Oneida

Wayne

Monroe

Herkimer

Ontario Erie

Wyoming

Seneca Livingston

Yates

Madison Cayuga Cortland Tompkins

Saratoga

Fulton

Onondaga

Genesee

Chenango

Otsego

Montgomery Schenectady Schoharie

Rensselaer

Albany

Schuyler Chautauqua

Cattaraugus

Allegany

Steuben Chemung

Tioga

Delaware

Greene

Columbia

Broome Ulster



For counties GAINING population the average increase is +8% over 30 years. The range by county is +.6% to +19.2%.



For counties LOSING population the average decrease is -12% over 30 years. The range by county is -.4% to -41.9%.

*Source Data: Cornell University, Program on Applied Demographics, https://pad.human.cornell.edu/counties/projections.cfm Map by NYSAC

Dutchess Sullivan

Putnam

Orange

Westchester Rockland

Suffolk

Bronx New York Queens Richmond

Nassau

Kings

www.nysac.org 15

NYSAC

Continued from page 15

Population Trends in New York’s Counties  Only six counties have gained population in each decade since 1970 as well as during the 2010 through 2015 period.  Four counties have lost population in each decade since 1970 and also from 2010 through 2015.  The trend in the number of counties experiencing population losses has accelerated over time. Even though the year to year decline in some counties is only a handful of people, the overall trend is not positive.  From 1970 to 2015 – 16 counties lost population  From 1980 to 2015 – 20 counties lost population  From 1990 to 2015 – 28 counties lost population  From 2000 to 2015 – 31 counties lost population  From 2010 to 2015 – 43 counties lost population  Counties with the highest growth rates over the last 45 years have experienced a steady rate of increase in nearly every decade since 1970.

• NYSHIP is available to virtually all public employers across New York State

These population trends are significant as we look into the future. Population loss can lead to a loss of political power in Washington DC, fewer federal grant dollars, gaps in resources to meet the needs of an aging population, shortfalls in available and trained workers, and declining economic growth and opportunities, among other issues. The map on page 15 shows projected population impacts by county through 2040. The data comes from Cornell University, Program on Applied Demographics, and it highlights the population challenges that many counties across New York may face in the coming decades. The impact by county ranges from a loss in population of up to -42 percent or an increase of nearly 20 percent. Both extremes will provide their own challenges and, as a state, we need to have a plan in place to meet these challenges and opportunities head on.

• Over 800 counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and special districts participate in NYSHIP

• More than 1.2 million public employees, retirees and their families have health insurance through NYSHIP

A unique health insurance plan developed for New York’s public employees For additional information regarding The Empire Plan, public employers may visit our web site at www.cs.ny.gov or call the Employee Benefits Division of the New York State Health Insurance Program at 518.485.1771 New York State Department of Civil Service, Employee Benefits Division

16 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

he nation’s 9-1-1 systems have evolved technologically since the first emergency call was made in the small Northern Alabama town of Haleyville in 1968. The computer that guided the first moon landing was unveiled that year. Publicly available mobile phones were still 16 years away. Times have changed. Nearly 50 years later, and at a time when the public expects service providers to be at the leading edge of technological advancements – or striving toward it – many of New York’s county-based 9-1-1 systems, and the county officials responsible for maintaining them, are having difficulty keeping up with the cost and pace of progress in the important field of emergency response. In response to this growing concern, NYSAC launched an initiative to help secure certainty in the funding stream and make emergency services more accessible to all New Yorkers and those who visit the state.

By Nicole Correia, NYSAC Communication Coordinator How to help rescue 9-1-1 in NY: Follow @Rescuing911 on Twitter.  Visit www.nysac.org/rescuing911  Like us: www.facebook.com/NYScounties

A multi-media approach Please visit NYSAC’s Rescuing 9-1-1 resource page (www. nysac.org/rescuing911) to view a short video message from Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino. Create a similar message and send it to us; we will post it to the channel.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

A Distress Call to Rescue 9-1-1

The “Rescuing 9-1-1” campaign seeks the involvement of NYSAC stakeholders, including county leaders, and eventually state’s decision-makers in Albany.

"NYSAC and its members have identified some serious issues that are hampering the ability of 9-1-1 operations across the state to maintain their systems and apply the most up-to-date technology that best serves the public."

“NYSAC and its members have identified some serious issues that are hampering the ability of 9-1-1 operations across the state to maintain their systems and apply the most up-to-date technology that best serves the public,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. “This is now a priority issue for us, and our members will play a big role in helping to Rescue 9-1-1 in New York State.” At issue are the following:  The state collects $1.20 surcharges on landline and contract cellphone plans, but not on pre-paid cellphones, resulting in lost revenue from roughly 30 percent of the cell phone market in the state.

 Under state authority, counties may also charge 30 or 35 cents per month on contract cell phone bills and 35 cents per month on landline phones. But there is no mechanism to charge pre-paid cell phone users.  Landline telephones were once the main source of surcharge revenue, but fewer homes have them today, which also is resulting in decreased revenue.  The state makes some of the funds it collects available to the counties in the form of competitive grants for system upgrades. Rescuing 9-1-1 seeks changes to the revenue-distribution method to help ensure a more reliable funding stream and to maintain system efficiency and integrity.

Looking ahead The FCC is expected to require standards at 9-1-1 centers through the national “Next Generation 9-1-1” – or NG911 – program. The mandate would cover 9-1-1 technology improvements, such as upgrades for pinpointing the exact location of cell phone callers and translating text messages at a 9-1-1 call center. NG911 is estimated to cost New York $2.2 billion over 10 years

Today, counties face challenges with basic radio communication interoperability, and new technology upgrades are costly, complex and take a long time to Continued on page 18 www.nysac.org 17

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 17

implement. The state makes about $75 million available to counties in the form of competitive grants. They are capped at $2 million per year, per county. The Rescuing 9-1-1 effort will explore the adequacy of the current funding policy.

The Cell Phone/Smartphone Challenge The rise of cell phone and smartphone use has made it much easier for people to reach a 9-1-1 operator. At any accident scene, operators will routinely receive multiple calls from witnesses, all pertaining to the same incident. Last year in Rensselaer County, for instance, the 9-1-1 call center received 600,000 calls on 150,000 incidences. By comparison, Dutchess County’s call center received nearly 235,000 calls on nearly 121,000 incidences. Collectively, dispatchers across the state receive 20 million calls per year. However, the Rescue 9-1-1 initiative seeks to introduce the technology to better pinpoint the specific location of a person in need if that person uses a cell phone to dial 9-1-1. Most systems do not have this functionality today. The technology to perform this function does, in fact, exist; ride services such as Uber, for example, has an app that allows smartphone users to call for a ride. Uber uses GPS to locate the customer, who, in turn, can see how far away the driver is by viewing the phone app. Most major fooddelivery services are creating apps that allow users to “tap and order” and track the location of their order as it’s on the way. The state’s county-based 9-1-1 centers are heading in that direction. “That is one of things we hope to address through the Rescuing 9-1-1 effort. Right now 9-1-1 operators can know fairly quickly which cell tower a caller is closest to, or how close someone is to their individual service provider’s tower,” said Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino. “But time is wasted in cases where the caller is unable to verbally provide a specific location to the operator. Minutes matter to first responders; they matter even more to someone in distress.”

The Future of 9-1-1 The Federal Communications Commission will require states to adopt “Next Generation 911(NG911) – an “evolving system of hardware, software, standards, policy and training” that will equip 9-1-1 systems with the tools to seamlessly adapt to future technologies, according to the FCC. It is designed so the public can text to 9-1-1, share video, and for the operators to “auto-locate” victims through GPS technology. According to the FCC, built-in redundancies would allow NG911 to function during times of call overload, natural disasters and power outages. “Rescuing 9-1-1 is a campaign to identify the financial problems to improve the process by which 9-1-1 county-based systems keep up with the rapid changes in technology and deliver the best, most cost-effective service that the public expects and deserves,” said William E. Cherry, NYSAC President. “We, as an association, have an obligation to identify areas where we can improve the system. That is the purpose of Rescuing 9-1-1.” With your help, at the grass roots, we can amplify our voices for those New Yorkers who are calling out for help.

18 N YSAC News Fall 2 01 6

By Deanna Lamb, Albany County Department of Health Public Health Preparedness Coordinator

he Albany County Department of Health (ACDOH) is responsible for providing mass prophylaxis to approximately 305,000 residents in the event of a large scale public health emergency, such as an aerosolized anthrax attack. To ensure an appropriate and timely response, ACDOH maintains and annually tests its Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and Medical Countermeasure (MCM) plans and response operations in Albany County. In the event of a large scale emergency, a county-wide response effort involving multiple departments would be required to ensure the health and safety of our residents. As part of its continued planning efforts, ACDOH offers annual trainings for county partners to update them on changes to the plans and educate them on their roles and responsibilities in a response. As the standards from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continue to expand, local health departments across the country continue to test their plans to identify and address any gaps. ACDOH tested their current SNS Plan in April 2016 with an SNS Functional Exercise. This undertaking was accomplished in several phases: Phase 1 – Planning and Meetings; Phase 2 – Trainings; Phase 3 – Functional Exercise.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

SNS Exercise Planning: Phasing in Best Practices

PHASE 1 – Planning and Meetings ACDOH’s Public Health Emergency Planning and Response (PHEPR) staff reviewed and updated its current SNS Plan. During that review, it was clear that staffing a County Receiving, Staging and Storing (RSS) site could be a challenge utilizing only ACDOH staff. In a real emergency, time is of the essence and working efficiently is the goal. While it was determined that RSS stations could be combined for more efficient staffing usage, ACDOH still needed to reach out to other county departments for assistance. ACDOH collaborated with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) for security, along with the Albany County Departments of Public Works (DPW) and General Services (DGS) for transportation of assets and staffing of roles throughout the exercise. Albany County Department of Information Services (DIS) provided technical support. As some of these partners were new to the SNS process, a brief overview was provided. Once the partners had a better understanding of the SNS process, they were more motivated to participate, offer input, and coordinate their staff. As a result of these planning meetings, a comprehensive operational flow process was created and trainings were scheduled according to staff assignments.

PHASE 2 – Trainings Staff assigned to Inventory Control and Quality Assurance roles required training on the Medical Emergency Response Inventory Management System (MERITS). MERITS is an application found on the New York State Health Commerce System (HCS) used to maintain and track the flow of inventory from the Medical Emergency Response Cache (MERC), the SNS or other vendors. Prior to the training, PHEPR staff charged tablets and MiFis, and worked with DIS to address any technical issues. The day of the MERITS training, ACDOH HCS Coordinators assisted staff in getting HCS accounts and assigned them to appropriate MERITS roles. Once logged into MERITS, RSS staff were trained on the MREITS process. PHEPR staff created a stepby-step MERITS Pick Sheet Participant Guide that included comprehensive instructions and screenshots for staff to follow. This tool proved very helpful during the training as any issues with the process were noted and the instructions were revised accordingly. Having staff trained prior to Phase 3 saved a significant amount of time the day of the exercise. Continued on page 20

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 19

Phase 3 – Functional Exercise ACDOH initiated the request for SNS assets by placing a phone call to the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This request was followed by a confirmation phone call and email from the NYS DOH EOC that SNS assets had been transferred to ACDOH’s RSS site within MERITS. On April 25, 2016, DGS and DPW staff arrived at ACDOH to load medical supplies onto pre-identified transportation vehicles, which included a flatbed truck, a box truck and ACDOH’s cargo trailer. ACDOH had purchased these supplies to be used in an emergency to equip local medical shelters. Since the supplies had been stored at ACDOH, it was decided to organize them in to 3 medical sheltering kits and transport to the ACSO storage site. The assets were transported to the RSS site for storage overnight. The next day PHEPR and DIS staff arrived at the site to set up tables, tablets, printers, laptops and projectors. DGS and DPW staff moved assets onto the RSS site floor. All other staff arrived and signed-in to receive their job assignment and vest prior to the Just-In-Time Training (JITT). The SNS/RSS/MERITS Overview & JITT was presented by the SNS Coordinator and the RSS Site Manager. In the event of a real emergency, RSS staff would be divided into teams based on the number of Points of Dispensing sites opened for dispensing operations. For this exercise, staff were divided into 3 teams to sort, pick and load the 3 medical sheltering kits. The exercise timeline ran from 10:00am -2:00pm. Staff were able to accomplish the following exercise objectives within the 3-hour window allotted: Through this exercise ACDOH was able to test a new operational flow and identify areas of improvement. Best Practices taken from this exercise included:  Collaborating with identified county partners allowed ACDOH to integrate other department’s expertise and develop a defined interdepartmental response within its SNS plan.

ASSIGNMENT

ROLE

Create Picking Sheets in MERITS

Inventory Control Unit

Pick Assets & QA of Picked Assets – place on pallet

Picking Unit/Quality Assurance Unit

Create Bill of Lading (BOL) in MERITS

Inventory Control Unit

Load assets on to trucks & provide drivers with directions/BOL

Shipping Unit

End of exercise

All

Lunch

All

 Placing the directions and BOL into plastic water proof sleeves guaranteed that signed BOLs would be returned to ACDOH without damage.

Hotwash

All

Transport assets to storage facility

SNS Coordinator & DGS/DPW – Shipping Unit

 Posting signage at all stations and staging areas for quick and easy verification by staff increased the efficiency of RSS operations.

Breakdown

SNS Site Manager/DIS

 Providing MERITS training and a Pick Sheet Participant Guide introduced RSS staff to the inventory management system prior to the exercise.  Providing all drivers with a copy of directions to RSS site and ASCO storage facility, along with the Bill of Lading, aided in the efficient transfer of assets from site to site.

20 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

By U.S. Communities

ddiction to opioids such as heroin, morphine, and prescription pain relievers continues to challenge the social and economic wellbeing of counties big and small. Heroin use specifically has increased dramatically in the past five years, and subsequently, overdose-related deaths more than doubled from 2011 to 2014. The ability to address the problem with overarching results seems consistently just out of reach. In an effort to provide assistance with this national epidemic, the National Association of Counties, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, and the United States Conference of Mayors with the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, Premier, Inc., and Adapt Pharma are now offering NARCAN® Nasal Spray at a 40-percent discount.

About U.S. Communities U.S. Communities, of which the New York State Association of Counties serves as a state association partner, combines the purchasing power of more than 55,000 public agencies. The program offers no user fees, best overall supplier government pricing, quality brands, integrity, experience, and oversight by public purchasing professionals. For more information, please visit www.uscommunities.org. For more information on how U.S. Communities is poised to combat prescription drug abuse and heroin use, please visit www.uscommunities.org/ suppliers/premier-medical/combating-drug-abuse/.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Expanding Efforts to Treat Opioid Overdoses

NARCAN®, a potentially lifesaving opioid withdrawal medication, is the only FDA-approved, ready-to-use nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride. It can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and access to this medication will allow counties to combat the number of drug-related overdose deaths across the country. Adapt Pharma is offering a 40-percent discount, $37.50 per dose ($75 for a 2 pack carton) in an effort to make the medication more affordable and accessible, through the U.S. Communities Purchasing Alliance and Premier, Inc. NARCAN® is a simple product; its ease of use can save lives, even in the most high stress situations and even when administered by understandably panicked bystanders. This new partnership has been met with widespread support from state and local leaders. Late last year, the White House Administration announced that as a priority, it would dedicate increased time and energy to fight the epidemic. “The Administration has made it a top priority to expand access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone and medication-assisted treatment because we have lost too many of our family members and friends to the opioid epidemic,” said White House National Drug Policy Control Director Michael Botticelli. “This public-private partnership to secure discounts for state and local agencies can help ensure that these life-saving medications are available wherever they are needed.” The National Association of Counties (NACo), a founding sponsor of U.S. Communities, will continue to work with state associations of counties, such as NYSAC, to develop policy recommendations and promote promising practices to address the opioid epidemic plaguing communities. “Medication-assisted opioid treatment can mean the difference between life and death,” said NACo Immediate Past President Sallie Clark, commissioner, El Paso County, Colo. “We see the devastating effects of prescription drug abuse and heroin use because counties are at the intersection of the local health, justice and public safety systems. We welcome this public-private partnership to support our response to this national crisis.”

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

If It Keeps On Rainin’, Levee’s Goin’ to Break By Amanda Post, Biologist, Sterling Environmental Engineering, P.C.

he Farmer’s Almanac for November 2016 through October 2017 predicts above normal precipitation and near-normal snowfall…. whatever that means these days.

Is your county ready for whatever may come? The NYS Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA) is a recently enacted law to provide guidance on projected sea-level increases along the Hudson River. In turn, facilities, projects and those applying for state funding must consider these projections in plans and demonstrate foresight for emergency preparedness. CRRA will be enforced in New York State beginning January 1, 2017. (For further details, visit www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/103877.html) New York State has experienced significant flooding events in the past ten years that had devastating socioeconomic impacts in many counties. Residents of New York have learned the hard way that community planning must carefully consider the natural environment. The future success of municipal planning depends on being in tune with both the stability and potential extremes of the Hudson River, and working with regulators to receive guidance on environmental trends.

the cost of routine maintenance, preemptive upgrades, and careful planning. Water related infrastructure is a good place for counties to start improving their overall ability to maintain safety and combat emergency situations.

Preparing for County-Wide Safety, Protection & Recovery Compliance with the new state resiliency regulations and resulting infrastructure upgrades will help protect residents and municipal assets. Counties should consider the need for permitting, mapping, monitoring, and design as part of the process of upgrading infrastructure or removing derelict infrastructure. To properly plan and implement projects involving flood protection and water control infrastructure, counties likely will require assistance with permitting and agency coordination, wetland delineations, environmental monitoring, grant applications and preliminary engineering consultation and design.

Water, Water, Everywhere Infrastructure across New York State continues to age and deteriorate. An independent review of infrastructure needs, capacity, and funding for New York State was published in 2015 by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ New York State Council. The report, “2015 Report Card for New York’s Infrastructure” assigned the state an overall grade of C-. Here is the initial breakdown: NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Grant awarded $12,500.00 for Tide Gate Removal in Troy, NY

Getting It Done

(source: www.infrastructurereportcard.org) New York State spent millions of tax dollars to address damage from flooding in 2011 alone. It is ironic that despite these emergency financial expenditures, we still begrudge upgrading; instead choosing to push our flood protection and water control infrastructure to the brink of failure. Repairing and upgrading infrastructure is time, skill, and capital intensive. The cost of letting infrastructure fail is even greater than

With strategic research and planning, counties can access state funding to offset the cost of climate-resilient infrastructure improvements. The above photograph highlights a tide gate removal project which received funding from the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary program. The reason for the tide gate removal was twofold: removing the derelict tide gate alleviates flooding issues while simultaneously allowing herring and American eel upstream access. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is also awarding funds to climate resilient infrastructure projects, and created a factsheet identifying infrastructure that may qualify for federal funding. Potentially eligible infrastructure projects are:  Renewable energy and/or energy efficiency (including green buildings)  Sustainable land use (including forestry and agriculture) Continued on page 23

22 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

 Biodiversity conservation

4. Innovate Today

 Clean water and/or drinking water

5. Be A Part of the Solution- It’s Your Infrastructure.

 Climate change adaptation

Counties that heed these recommendations will ultimately reduce or eliminate unplanned and unbudgeted emergency response costs associated with severe storm events. Responsible, forward-looking infrastructure planning and design, and compliance with the new CRRA will ultimately reduce costs and property damage while increasing public protection.

Each county will have unique environmental concerns, priorities and strategies for addressing emergency preparedness. Overall, New York State counties share the common goal of strengthening infrastructure to cope with increasingly severe storm weather trends. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ New York State Council’s recommendations for our infrastructure is as follows: 1. Modernizing New York’s Infrastructure Should Be A Top Priority 2. Let’s Rebuild Better- Make New York’s Infrastructure Resilient and Sustainable 3. Expedite Project Delivery

About the author • Amanda Post of Sterling Environmental Engineering P.C., is a biologist who holds a BS degree in Biology from Wagner College. Amanda is an alumni of the Richard Chinn 38 Hour Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Training Program, the NYSDEC in Erosion & Sediment Control Training, and the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudsonia’s 24 Hr Habitat and Water Resource Assessment.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 22

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Flood Maps: What Communities Need to Know By Jayme Breschard Thomann, Senior Planner, AICP, CFM Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council

ecord-breaking rain inundated 20 parishes in southeastern Louisiana in August 2016, resulting in 13 deaths across the state, 60,000 damaged homes, and an estimated $30 million in flood costs so far. The devastating flood in Louisiana is now the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy four years ago. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an estimated 42 percent of homes in high-risk areas have flood insurance. Only 12.5 percent of homeowners in low and moderate-risk zones do. Unfortunately, many of the areas hit hard by record rainfall were not considered at high-risk for flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 by Congress to help people financially protect themselves from flooding. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP and enforces floodplain management regulations. These regulations include minimum construction requirements in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), which are shown on a community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). Structures in the SFHA with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to have flood insurance. Flood insurance is not typically required in low-to-moderate flood risk areas. However, people outside of mapped high-risk flood areas file over 20 percent of all NFIP flood insurance claims and receive onethird of Federal Disaster Assistance for flooding. Which brings us back to the current state of affairs in Louisiana—about 16,311 of the 137,616 homes in Baton Rouge had flood insurance, or about 11.9 percent total. Most of the flooding in East Baton Rouge Parish—and the areas FEMA flood maps consider most at risk—is outside the city, however. That is compared to 14 percent of the 56,800 homes in Lafayette and 39.1 percent of the 154,804 homes in New Orleans. So, are FEMA’s flood maps inaccurate? Why do residents not have flood insurance? First, let’s define a “high-risk flood area.” Flood risk zones are determined by FEMA on a community’s FIRM. “A Zones” are high-risk

flood areas that are subject to inundation during a 100-year flood, which is the flood elevation that has a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded each year. Along with “V Zones”—which applies in coastal situations with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves—A Zones are defined as the SFHA on a community’s FIRM. Low-to-moderate flood risk areas are subject to the 500-year flood, which means a flood of that size or greater has a 0.2-percent chance (or 1 in 500 chance) of occurring in a given year. They are shown on the FIRM as B, C, or X Zones (or a shaded X). FIRMs are usually on file at municipal offices. Maps are also available online or by writing, calling, or faxing a request to the FEMA Map Assistance Center. Structures located in high-risk flood areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to have flood insurance. Flood insurance is technically not required if the structure does not touch the floodplain—even though the parcel does. Still, the lending institution has the right to require a flood insurance policy. Coverage, however, is not heavily policed. And if you own a home outright, you cannot be forced to purchase coverage. Federal flood insurance is separate from homeowner policies. Many homeowners and renters mistakenly believe their standard policies include flood damage. The combination of misinformation about what homeowner’s insurance covers, residents “gambling” with coverage because they either can’t afford it or the institutional memory of a disaster is short, and the fact that many flood maps no longer reflect current risks (due to land development and changes in the environment) tells the daunting story that flood risk is severely underestimated across the country. Organizations like the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and its state chapter, the New York State Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association (NYSFSMA), provide training and education on various floodplain management issues, including flood mapping and insurance, as does FEMA through online resources such FloodSmart.gov. However, the question about inaccurate or out-ofContinued on page 25

24 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

date flood hazard maps remains. For instance, the image below shows the status of FIRMs in New York State. For the nine-county GeneseeFinger Lakes Region (Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates Counties), only one of the nine counties has “modernized” maps: Monroe County. The remaining counties have access to paper maps—many dating to the 1970s and 1980s. As one can imagine, the development that has occurred over time in these communities—creating impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and rooftops—has redirected the natural infiltration of precipitation and decrease to groundwater; increasing the amount of water entering the drainage network. Impervious surfaces increase peak stream flows during storms because water runs off pavement and rooftops very quickly. Thus, the flood zones that were mapped in the 1970s and 1980s may have shifted and moved over the past forty years; structures that are mapped as “low and moderate-risk” may now be at high-risk and vulnerable to flooding. Map modernization is the process by which more reliable and up-todate flood data is created by using the latest mapping technology and delivering it in a geographic information system (GIS)-based format. As a result, digital maps can be more accessible and updated easily

and at less cost, as flood risks change. While many communities across the country are still forced to use paper flood maps, organizations like ASFPM are continuing to advocate for funding to the national mapping program in order to accurately portray the national flood risk and bring attention to the nation’s costliest hazard. New York State has also developed the Floodplain Mapping Program to aid FEMA’s Flood Hazard Mapping. The State’s preliminary floodplain maps and mapping status updates are available via the FEMA Region Support Center (RSC) website: https://www.rampp-team.com/ny.htm. Local governments and emergency responders should locate their official flood maps and take advantage of tools to better understand flood risk. Regional Planning Councils (RPC) may be able to help—for close to 30 years, the New York State Association of Regional Councils (NYSARC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have worked together to enhance, restore, preserve and protect the water resources of New York State. To find your nearest RPC, go to: http://www.nysarc.com/. And consider joining the NYSFSMA to access a multidisciplinary exchange in floodplain and stormwater management.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 24

Source: Implementation of the Community Risk and Resiliency Act, Spring 2016 G/FLRPC Local Government Workshop.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Improving Highway Safety Across New York State By Anthony D’Agostino, Law Enforcement Liaison, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee

n 2014, New York State had 616 homicides and 72,338 people were victims of violent crimes. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system is often only able to react to these incidents after the fact. What many people don’t realize is that there is something else going on in your communities that kills and injures even more people: Car crashes. Fortunately we (elected officials, policy makers, government employees, NGO’s, and our private sector partners) can have a quick and positive influence on saving lives and reducing injuries due to car crashes. In NYS in 2014, 1,026 people were killed and 160,497 people were injured in automobile crashes. These totals far exceed the crime victim totals and, as such, deserve our attention and action. We have the ability to reduce these numbers through enforcement, education, and engineering. The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) is a branch of the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that awards federal highway safety grant funds to local, state and not-for-profit agencies for projects to improve highway safety and reduce deaths and serious injuries due to motor vehicle crashes. The GTSC coordinates traffic safety activities in the state. Through the website www.safeny.ny.gov, the GTSC seeks to share timely, accurate and useful news, as well as provide information and other resources about traffic safety and the state's highway safety grant program. In 1966, an act of Congress created the National Highway Safety Program. It provides that "each State shall have a highway safety program...designed to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, injuries and property damage resulting there from." A chain of responsibility for implementing highway safety programs was established. At the national level the program is administered by two agencies of the U.S. Department of Transportation: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These agencies develop overall policy, conduct national research and monitor state programs. In New York, the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee coordinates statewide traffic safety activities. The Committee promotes and supports the state's highway safety program to provide for the safe transportation of people and goods on New York's roadways. The staff of the GTSC manage the NYS highway safety program by reviewing

26 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

and monitoring grant programs, coordinating special programs such as the Child Passenger Safety or the Drug Recognition Expert officer programs, and by providing guidance and oversight to state and local agencies. By statute, the Committee is comprised of the heads of the twelve state agencies with missions related to transportation and highway safety and is chaired by the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Committee acts as the state's official liaison with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The GTSC realizes that local involvement and participation are vital to the success of New York’s highway safety plan. To that end, two grants are awarded to allow a county and a municipal Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL) to work directly on the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee in their Albany headquarters. The New York State Sheriffs’ Association and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police are the recipients of these annual grants. The LELs work directly with GTSC program representatives and administrators to make NYS roadways safer. Another mechanism for local involvement in this statewide program is the coordination of the GTSC with local Traffic Safety Boards (TSB) which are described in the NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law Art. 43 Sections 1672-1677. Normally comprised of persons with a professional interest in traffic safety, these community boards coordinate local programs and approve grant applications from their jurisdiction before they submit applications to the GTSC. By regulation, the GTSC requires all municipal and not-for-profit local agency applications to have the approval of the county Traffic Safety Board. All of the current Traffic Safety Boards in NYS are organized at the county level. By awarding grant funds to local entities based partially on the recommendations of the local TSBs, highway safety efforts can be customized to deal with the local problems that are contributing to crashes. The GTSC also takes a statewide approach to traffic safety by delivering training, promoting crash reduction and safe driving initiatives, and using data to identify trends and commonalities in crashes throughout NYS. The best way to learn more about the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee is to visit the website www. safeny.ny.gov.

By Naomi Gennings, NIMS Coordinator

n New York, Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services (OES) has proven time and again to be an innovator in preparing for and responding to emergencies. Every year, municipalities are struck by disasters that require financial assistance from not only New York State, but from FEMA as well. Applying for this assistance can be a daunting, confusing and frustrating task at times. There are certain requirements that need to be met by the municipalities in order to receive assistance, and this can be overwhelming. Cattaraugus County OES has routinely been among the first counties to provide all necessary information and meet all requirements for financial aid within the first 48 hours of a disaster. The Cattaraugus County OES staff has developed a process to prepare and work with the municipalities within the county even before a disaster, as well as assist them during the recovery period. The process includes (among other measures) preventative training, readymade assessment forms/worksheets, and the use of a state-of-the-art incident management system.

and capabilities. The main goals are to ensure:  municipality officials are well educated in emergency response, and the requirements for financial aid;  officials are empowered to take all necessary steps to meet those requirements, such as declaring a state of emergency, issuing emergency orders, and familiarity with associated laws and requirements;  open communication and partnerships

Office Excel workbook that was created by Cattaraugus County OES staff, called the Damage Assessment Worksheets. This workbook is currently being adopted by NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and adapted for their use. As designed, the workbook tracks damages and costs for State and Federal reporting purposes, and is made up of five worksheets; Total Estimated Costs, Preliminary Damage, Project Worksheets, Residential Damage, and Highway Superintendents.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Innovative Disaster Solutions in Cattaraugus County

Training On a regular basis, Cattaraugus County OES works with New York State (NYS) Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to conduct classes for municipality officials that concentrates on their roles, rights, and responsibilities in regard to emergencies. These classes not only prepare them for what tasks are expected of them when an emergency happens, but also to prepare them for the steps needed for financial assistance and recovery. Classes are customized by including the municipality’s unique needs

between the municipalities and Cattaraugus County OES.

Damage Assessment Worksheets When disaster strikes, Cattaraugus County OES takes the lead by calling each of the municipalities for damage information. This timely information is immediately entered into a specially-designed Microsoft

The Damage Assessment Worksheets are a quick reference of total estimated costs for the municipality and associated residents. The importance of these worksheets is to have a running timeline of damages and costs as the operational periods progress, allowing for quick referencing for State and Federal reporting. It also shows whether the Continued on page 28

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 27

county has met the required threshold for financial aid. Each worksheet is designed to be used during the disaster, growing with the size of the operation, along with pinpointing the areas of greatest devastation. The Total Estimated Costs, Preliminary Damage, and Residential Damage worksheets are for immediate estimations. The information is given to the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to help determine if a state of emergency should be declared by NYS or if the area qualifies for financial aid. Furthermore, the worksheets are used to prioritize support from the county to the municipalities and to analyze any trending information. The Project Worksheet is used following the disaster, when the recovery processes have started. The information that is entered into this worksheet originates from forms that the municipalities are asked to complete. These forms were intended to assist municipalities in documenting repairs along with providing State and FEMA representatives the initial information needed to start the reimbursement paperwork.

Technical Solutions Cattaraugus County OES has invested in a web-based incident management system that allows for quick and efficient response during an emergency. The DisasterLAN (DLAN) system is a “virtual EOC” and is used to accomplish daily operational tasks as well as documentation during emergencies. Its capabilities include secure access by desktop and mobile devices, mass internal and external communication, incident and resource management, geographic information system (GIS) and mapping integration, and financial documentation.

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Being accessible by multiple platforms allows for easy and secure access from any location by multiple Cattaraugus County OES users at any time. This streamlines response time, by permitting critical information to be disseminated at a moment’s notice regardless of users’ location or device. DLAN is not only Incident Managements System (IMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and National Incident Managements System (NIMS) compliant, it is also Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS), and MultiAgency Situational Awareness System (MASAS) interoperable. For New York users, DLAN is compatible with NY ALERT and NY Responds too. During a disaster, Cattaraugus County OES uses DLAN to manage and allocate resource requests, disperse manpower, communicate vital information, map and analyze critically affected areas, and ensure proper

documentation retention such as financial reimbursement requirements. Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services continues striving for new and innovative ways to efficiently serve the community. Staff are encouraged to think outside normal protocols to streamline response and strengthen municipality partnerships. For more information about Cattaraugus County, New York and the Office of Emergency Services, visit www.

cattco.org.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

S2AY Rural Health Network: Collaboration of Public Health Departments Enables Rapid Response By Derrik Chrisler, S2AY Rural Health Network

he S2AY Rural Health Network, Inc., founded in 1997, is an affiliation of eight public health departments serving the Finger Lakes and Southern regions of NY State. The Network has a Finger Lakes Public Health Alliance (FLPHA) Memorandum of Understanding, which facilitates the sharing of mutual aid across jurisdictional county lines in the event of a public health problem. The Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing arrangement is an Intermunicipal Agreement between nine counties, including Monroe (not rural) along with Livingston, Steuben, Yates, Schuyler, Chemung, Ontario, Wayne and Seneca. Trust is imperative in any function but especially important when working with multiple jurisdictions such as is the case with the FLPHA MOU. The member counties have a long history of collaboration with one another and have developed beneficial relationships built on trust and understanding. Most of the member counties have been working together since 2002, and the founding counties have been collaborating since 1997 at the time of inception of the Network. While the partner counties work together on many and varied projects, an example of the long standing trust and confidence shared between members can be seen through the most recent activation of the agreement. During November of 2015 there was a public health emergency identified as a Hepatitis A Response as a result of the infection of a food worker located in Seneca County. The outbreak was identified on November 12, 2015 and by 3:00PM, the Public Health Director had communicated with the NYSDOH and notified the County Manager that they would be activating the Intermunicipal Agreement. All member counties responded positively to the request and provided staff, supplies and other resources as required, starting with a large public clinic on Saturday, November 14. The results of such a quick and full participation response from all member counties allowed Seneca County to administer the following vaccinations: Name

Number of Vaccinations

Immunoglobulin (Under 1 year, or over age 40, or direct exposure)

1,660

Hepatitis A (Adult)

1,127

Hepatitis A (Pediatric)

472

Hepatitis A (Total)

1,599

Total of All Vaccinations

3,259

30 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

Clinics were held each day during the period, November 14th-20th, additionally it was discovered from follow up investigations that a second food service worker at a different local restaurant had tested positive for Hepatitis A. As a result additional clinics were held on December 3rd,7th and 10th. Seneca County only has a population of about 35,000 people, and has only two nurses, and two nursing supervisors. Without the extensive assistance provided through the mutual aid plan, which would not have developed and executed if it wasn’t for the history and trust shared between the member counties, there is absolutely no way residents could have been vaccinated in time for the vaccination to be effective. The FLPHA MOU has seen great success as a collaborative tool between all members. FLPHA Mutual Aid Agreement was critical in obtaining staff to start up the initial two clinics during the Hepatitis A situation. Member county partners responded quickly to the request for assistance. The use of the Integrated Health Alert & Notification System (IHANS) to rapidly notify FLPHA partners and activate the Mutual Aid Agreement was a significant strength during the process. While this emergency in Seneca County has been the only instance that has required the full activation of the FLPHA MOU since its inception, the member counties have also seen success through other preventative preparedness activities such as drills and regular updating and tweaking of the existing plan and processes. The S2AY Rural Health Network is a unique collaboration of Public Health Departments serving the Finger Lakes region. The counties that are located in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier have a strong sense of identity and connectedness to the region as a whole, and the Public Health Directors of the eight counties meet together every month. Monroe County, our urban partner, is included in FLPHA because they are so much larger than all of the rural counties combined, and in any kind of great disaster will be key to keeping the region safe. This sense of togetherness and long history of working successfully has cultivated a strong sense of regional identity and pride to be a member of the S2AY Network. Members of the S2AY Rural Health Network have been working together since its inception in 1997. The counties and staff from the Network have worked in collaboration on countless projects over the last 20 years and will continue to do so into the future. Continued on page 31

The FLPHA MOU has had sufficient senior level support from key members within each supporting county. The Public Health Directors participated and provided input into the guiding policies and procedures, as well as solicited input from the Senior Public Health Educators and Emergency Planners from each county. The MOU had to be approved by nine county attorneys. After the document was reviewed and finalized, the Public Health Directors presented it to either their County Legislature or County Board of Supervisors as a resolution to be approved. All county elected officials or supervisors approved the resolution to adopt the Intermunicipal Agreement for the defined services.

Most recently, the Network was awarded a small grant from the Center for Sharing Public Health Services to improve the regionalization capabilities of the FLPHA MOU. The objectives outlined within this project are to improve on the existing FLPHA agreement based on weaknesses identified during the recent activation. Efforts will be spent to better operationalize efforts during a public health emergency specific to policies and procedures for outbreaks.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 30

Commissioner of Health of NYS Dr. Howard A Zucker; Seneca County Public Health Staff

Seneca County Medical Director Dr. Tim Ryan; Dr. Howard A Zucker; Public Health Directors/ Designees

www.nysac.org 31

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Air Medical in New York: A Crucial Link By David Poulsen, Vice President of Air Methods, LifeNet of New York

ne in three Americans live in rural areas where getting urgent medical care for events like cardiac emergencies, stroke, and trauma is extremely difficult due to the fact that appropriate medical facilities are so far away. Since 1990, more than 22 percent of America’s hospitals have closed. According to the Center for Rural Affairs, rural hospitals have been closing at a rate of nearly one per month since 2010. Getting timely, appropriate medical care is deadly serious. Trauma doctors refer to the first hour after a traumatic injury as the “Golden Hour” because during this critical window, the right kind of medical care can lead to vastly better outcomes with regard to saving lives and preserving quality of life. Eighty-five million Americans who live more than one hour from a hospital with a Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center by ground transport can access these centers within the Golden Hour because of air medical services. For these Americans there is literally no way to get appropriate emergency care without air transport. Air medical transport providers, which most often use helicopters, provide a high level of life-saving care that involves highly-trained nurses, paramedics, pilots, and state-of-the-art medical equipment. They only respond when called upon by a first responder or physician – they do not self-dispatch. And when called, they go immediately, helping to expand the reach of hospitals and trauma centers and ensuring that rural communities maintain access to medical care. Air medical transport providers operate in one of the most regulated industries in the country. There is an unsustainable problem, however: air medical service providers are being squeezed by drastically low government reimbursement rates and some insurers who refuse to negotiate in good faith. The result is that the burden of paying for air medical transport is being shifted to insured beneficiaries, and worse, real lives and rural communities are being put at risk. Being ready to deploy advanced aircraft and highly-trained crews 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year, costs about $3 million annually per air base. Each air base transports roughly 300 patients a year. LifeNet of New York is an air medical transport provider in New York State. More than 70% of our transports are reimbursed by either Medicare, Medicaid, other government sponsored insurance, or are uninsured. Unfortunately, the current reimbursement rates under these programs are dramatically below our costs. The average Medicare

32 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

reimbursement is about 50% of actual transport costs. In many states, Medicaid covers an even smaller portion of the cost for a transport. While Medicaid reimbursements vary by state, some states are reimbursing as low as 1/25 of Medicare, which doesn’t even cover the cost of fuel, which is $450 for the average transport. If a provider is reimbursed substantially below cost for seven out of every 10 transports, it means the remaining transports are essentially paying for the whole system. While most private insurers are good actors who pay at or close to full billed charges, there are some in the industry who will not negotiate in good faith and refuse to recognize the true cost of service. So how do we preserve critical air medical transport service for communities all over the country with a solution that is costeffective, fair to all patients and other stakeholders, and durable? First and foremost, we must fix the dramatic shortfall in Medicare reimbursement by passing S. 1149 and H.R. 822, which helps bridge the gap in payments versus actual costs and enables the issue to be studied in depth. The Medicare fee schedule for air medical transport was set in 1998 and was completely disconnected from actual cost data – this status quo cannot hold. At the local level, states must take similar action to align reimbursement rates for Medicaid with the true cost of service. And lastly, insurers and air medical transport providers must work in good faith to forge fair in-network agreements. Air medical transport is essential for rural communities to have access to high quality, timely trauma, cardiac and stroke care. It is time to act to preserve this critical service. About LifeNet • Since 1992, LifeNet of New York – an Air Methods program – has been committed to delivering lifesaving air medical services to the residents and visitors of New York State and surrounding communities. LifeNet of New York is positioned and staffed to provide response and care to 49 of the 57 Upstate counties and to provide care when needed to more than nine million lives. With over 150 highly-trained professionals, 11 bases, 10 helicopters and one airplane, they are the largest critical care air medical program in New York State. LifeNet of New York is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) and is 100-percent fullyequipped with Night Vision Goggle technology to enhance safety.

By Sheriff Ron Spike, Yates County

he office of Sheriff in New York State plays several important roles in the public safety of the people residing, visiting or traveling within a county. There are over 40 New York State statues of law where the office of Sheriff is mentioned. Included in those duties and obligations is a little-known but important responsibility for an elected Sheriff in the protection of life and property while performing the legal obligations and sworn duty of “conservator of the peace within the county.” The Sheriff is conferred powers per the New York State Municipal Law (209-f-2a) to declare a special emergency. The law states: “Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, general, special or local, the sheriff of any county may, when the public interest requires it, declare a state of special emergency in any part or parts of his county where the public peace is threatened or where life or property may be endangered, after first advising the governor, by telegram, facsimile or other electronic means that he is about to do so.” During the continuance of any declared special emergency until it has been terminated by the Sheriff who declared it or by the Governor, the declaring Sheriff may request aid from other jurisdictions within his county, and shall have the authority to request any number of Sheriffs in New York State to detail and assist in the management of the emergency and deputize those deputies as “Emergency Deputy Sheriffs” to maintain the public peace or to prevent life or property becoming endangered. These deputies are further described in Section 655 of the County Law and may be compensated as explained in Section 657 of that law. While engaged in this duty, those rendering aid will have all the authority, rights and benefits they

would normally have in their own jurisdictions including workmen’s compensation benefits. It should be noted that in the county of Nassau the Sheriff’s power reverts to the County Executive. Whenever a major event takes place impacting a county meeting the special emergency definition, Sheriffs make the declaration. As an example, it is common for the Schuyler County Sheriff to make such a declaration during major NASCAR racing events that have a major impact on that county. Deputies come from nearby counties to assist in keeping the peace, and are sworn in taking and signing an oath as Emergency Deputy Sheriffs for that county. Often Sheriffs will make the declaration when weather, such as major snow accumulation or visibility, flooding, freezing rain or an ice storm, makes roadways impassible or dangerous in all or parts of the county, closing the roadways to traffic for public safety purposes. Additionally, this has been done when a lake’s water rises to over flooding stages and restriction of boat traffic or a reduced speed on the public waterways is essential to protect life and shoreline property from damage. Although not a frequent event, it could be declared when a prisoner has escaped custody endangering the public. There are numerous events requiring emergency management that may make this declaration necessary and required.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

The Sheriff and a State of “Special” Emergency

The Sheriff plays an important role in the management of emergencies in a county, and the power to declare a “special emergency” is paramount at times for the public safety and coordination with the County Emergency Manager, fire and EMS, other law enforcement agencies, first responders, and special services; and perhaps even appropriate as prior to a real “state of emergency” being declared by the head of municipal government or the Governor.

www.nysac.org 33

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Emergency Preparedness & Response in Wyoming County By Sheriff Gregory J. Rudolph, Wyoming County

yoming County has a population of over 42,000 and over 600 square miles. It is a beautiful, rural and agricultural county where the adage “there are more cows than people” is true. However, the challenges to the Sheriff’s Office and the other Law Enforcement Agencies are as prevalent as any other community in the State. Heroin, mental health calls, sex offenses, domestic violence and traffic safety dominate our workload. As the landscape of law enforcement continues to evolve to include a more prepared response for incidents such as: active shooter, terrorist attacks and environmental catastrophes, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office's most valuable prepared response tool is the “take home car.” Including the Sheriff and Undersheriff, there are 30 full-time sworn officers of various Deputy Sheriff ranks and assignments. Of those thirty members, 26 are assigned a “take home car.” The four excluded are assigned to the Court Security Unit. It is an important note that the “take home car” is NOT a commuter car; it is designed for everyone to hit the ground running, to be on Post even before leaving the driveway. No one is out of service and at the office for shift change; it is a rolling shift change that occurs throughout the county. Having the ability to immediately respond is an imperative tool to our preparedness. Over the years there have been countless incidents that have resulted in an emergency call out for staff. Fortunately, most of them have been for weather related reasons. Sometimes it’s a few members and on occasion it’s the majority. Regardless, that member is immediately on duty, ready and able to respond. The cars, whether marked or unmarked, are not equipped perfectly, but are equipped adequately. They all have Computer Aided Dispatch with Automatic Vehicle Location (GPS), emergency lighting and flares, most have AEDs, most have patrol rifles and other emergency response equipment. I believe in the “closest car policy” in its truest sense in an emergency. This dispatching policy is too often referred to as an agency-to-agency policy such as the Sheriff’s Office and State Police, but it is my firm belief it should be utilized internally as well. When one has an emergency, they not only don’t care what police agency arrives, they also don’t care what rank or assignment that officer has. They just want help and if we are going to provide that help, we need the vehicle and equipment to provide it.

34 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

In 1972, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office had nine police cars in the fleet (three were “take home cars”) and four were replaced every year. Today, we have 26 cars assigned to officers and five are replaced every year. In 2005, the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors’ Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, John Copeland (also retired Undersheriff) made a report studying the “take home car” program in Wyoming County. In the report, he recounts his days as a patrol Deputy, “I remember sitting in the office for up to two hours waiting for a vehicle to start my shift.” These stories are not unheard of, even today. The “take home car” program began in the mid-1980s when there weren’t as many personnel and the startup costs were much less with much less equipment. The foresight of Sheriff Allen Capwell (retired) and the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors then is remarkable. The commitment of the current Board of Supervisors to emergency preparedness and the operational readiness of the Sheriff’s Office is just as remarkable. In the July 2016 Wyoming County Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety Committee Meeting, there were community members of the Leadership Wyoming Class in attendance and the Chairman of Board, A. Douglas Berwanger, requested I outline the “take home car” program for the guests in attendance, which I gladly did. Upon closing the topic of discussion, Chairman Berwanger said, “over the years, the Board has been questioned on occasion about the viability of the program by the taxpayers and I tell you, this program has proven itself over and over again.” In the spring of 2015, the State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services came to Wyoming County for our County Emergency Preparedness Assessment (CEPA). From a law enforcement standpoint, it was clear our ability to quickly deploy from anywhere in numbers was our number one asset. In a small rural county mostly patrolled with just three Deputies and where specialized units (tactical, bomb, aviation) are not realistic for our workload or budget, we still must “hold the line” until we can resolve the emergency or get that mutual aid needed. Having a “take home car” program that is properly equipped gives us an operational readiness to deploy a professional police force to any emergency whether an officer is on duty or off.

By Jill Luther, NYSAC Program Administrator

olid waste management is the process by which discarded material, also known as solid waste, is collected and properly disposed. Improper disposal of solid waste can create unsanitary conditions that can lead to environmental pollution. Sources of solid waste include residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial waste. Certain types of wastes that cause immediate danger to exposed individuals or environments are classified as hazardous. All non-hazardous solid waste from a community that requires collection and transport to a processing or disposal site is called refuse or municipal solid waste (MSW).

capacity for non-recyclable waste. The Authority has developed a regional, comprehensive, integrated system of facilities to serve all the residents, businesses, industries and institutions of the two counties.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

A National Model for Sound Solid Waste Management: The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority

This integrated system promotes reduction, maximizes recycling, and provides safe, economical disposal for non-recyclable waste. The Authority owns and operates a Recycling Center, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, Green Waste Composting Facility, Regional Landfill, and three transfer stations. Services include recycling, backyard composting, providing public education, promoting waste reduction and reuse of materials, school “Go Green” initiatives, as well as full-scale electronics collection and sludge management.

Single-Stream and Electronics Recycling The Authority operates a state-of-the-art single stream Recycling Center. The single stream processing system was constructed in 2011 and operation began in January 2012. This took the place of the Authority's previous dual stream processing system that was built in 1991.

Oneida - Herkimer Solid Waste Authority Website

Single-stream recycling allows all recyclable items (paper, plastic, metal and glass) to be mixed together, rather than being sorted into separate commodities for collection and processing. With single stream recycling, both the collection and processing systems are

Responsible solid waste management presents complex technical challenges including a variety of administrative, economic, and social problems that must be managed and solved. The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (Authority) is a model for how solid waste can be and should be managed in a green and environmentally responsible way. Preserving the environment through recovery and disposal is the Authority’s mission. The Authority was created on September 1, 1988 and serves both Oneida and Herkimer Counties. The Authority was created to address environmental problems associated with improper solid waste disposal, to develop new facilities and programs for waste reduction and recycling, and to address the lack of long-term disposal Continued on page 36

www.nysac.org 35

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

Continued from page 35

designed to handle commingled recyclables. After collection, recyclables are delivered to the Authority’s single stream Recycling Center where they are processed and sorted for materials’ marketing. Since opening, the Authority has processed over 877,014 tons of recyclable material. As part of the household hazardous waste management program, the Authority began its computer recycling program in 2000, and in 2003 expanded the program to include other electronics. The program allows residents, institutions and businesses to deliver computer and electronic equipment to the Authority for recycling and proper disposal. The Authority accepts household hazardous waste and electronics at no charge from residents. The Authority also operates a state-ofthe-art regional landfill which opened in October 2006. The landfill is permitted to accept only non-hazardous waste generated within Oneida and Herkimer Counties. The landfill is an important part of the environmental infrastructure that serves Oneida and Herkimer Counties and provides all waste generators with the highest level of environmental security, thereby guarding against significant liability for the longterm. The system allows the Authority to track waste from its source to disposal, providing users of the system with complete environmental indemnification.

Landfill Gas to Electricity Creates Green Energy Again furthering the Authority’s green mission, in 2008, the Authority Board of Directors authorized a study to determine the most beneficial use for the collected methane gas generated at its landfill. The release of methane from landfills contributes to the generation of greenhouse gases. In 2010, the Authority implemented active landfill gas collection and control through the use of a blower skid and flare. The active landfill gas collection system collects the gas through a network of wells and pipes located in the landfill cells. This collection system puts the landfill under negative pressure, pulling gas to the generator and flare, thereby avoiding emissions to the atmosphere.

Authority installed 14 new gas collection wells, continuing to advance the active landfill gas collection system which brings the total number of vertical wells to 58 and horizontal wells to 15. The Authority’s landfill gas to electricity project represents a significant commitment by the Authority to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint by capturing methane from the landfill and converting it to green energy.

This project began generating electricity in early 2012 with one engine. The facility expanded in 2013 with the installation of one additional engine. Managing the waste created Landfill Gas Utilization With the second engine, in our community is everyone’s the facility now generates responsibility. The Oneidaenough renewable energy to power more Herkimer Solid Waste Authority has proven than 3,300 homes each year. In 2015, the that solid waste can be managed in way

The integrated system helps local industry eliminate the risk of environmental liability in a number of ways. To assure no hazardous waste reaches the landfill, all waste generated by industrial and manufacturing facilities must be pre-approved before acceptance for disposal. Independent stateapproved labs are employed to analyze samplings of waste on a regular basis.

Construction of Landfill Cell-Liner

36 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

Landfill Gas Management-Gas to Energy Engine

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE

that is reasonable, convenient, green and most of all, environmentally responsible. The Authority’s comprehensive and integrated system of managing waste from implementing single-stream recycling, a stateof-the-art landfill, a gas to energy plant and turning greenhouse gas into renewable energy is the epitome of what those specializing in the solid waste industry should strive for.

Green Waste Compost Pile

Oneida Compost Facility

Electronics Waste Lined Up CompostOrganic Material

Electronics Waste - To be Shipped

MRF-Recycling Center Building HHW Facility-Utica

MRF Bale Storage

HHW - Paints

MRF Addition Bale Storage www.nysac.org 37

THANK YOU

NYSAC Thanks the 2016 Fall Seminar Exhibitors & Sponsors THANK YOU to our exhibitors and sponsors. Your participation and support enables NYSAC to provide quality educational programs for our members.

EXHIBITORS AlertSense, Inc. Alliance of WNY Benefit Trust AT&T Auctions International Inc. C&S Companies CanaRx Group Inc. Capital Region BOCES Collar City Auctions Realty & Mgmt, Inc. Corcraft CSRA State and Local Solutions, LLC CurAegis Technologies, Inc. Direct Energy Business Enterprise Fleet Management Good Energy, L.P.

Relph Benefit Advisors Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP ShoreTel Siemens Industry, Inc. Simmons Recovery Consulting SmartWatt Energy SMRT Architects and Engineers

Honor Valor IC Solutions/Keefe Group Image Data, Inc.

The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center

The Chazen Companies TNT Fireworks Trane VMC Group, Inc. Wendel

CORPORATE SPONSOR CSRA State and Local Solutions, LLC

ORACLE

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP

Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation NYMIR NYS Department of State NYS I86 Coalition NYS Preferred Source Program for the Blind NYSAuctions.com ORACLE PERMA Pictometry International ProAct, Inc.

38 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

SILVER SPONSORS Acadia Energy Corporation Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Auctions International Inc. BST & Co. CPA's, LLP Collar City Auctions Realty & Mgmt, Inc. Crown Benefits Group, Inc. EFPR Group, LLP

M.J. Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C.

New York State Health Insurance Program

KeyBanc Capital Markets

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

AT&T

Nationwide Retirement Solutions

Jefferies LLC

Systems East, Inc.

LaBella Associates

NACo - National Association of Counties

FTN Financial Capital Markets

SWBR Architects

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance

Drescher & Malecki LLP

New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP)

Kinney Management Services, LLC

MRB Group Engineering, Architecture, Surveying, P.C.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

SolarCity

Haylor Freyer & Coon, Inc. Health Economics Group, Inc.

GOLD SPONSORS

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORS

FatPipe Networks Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc. Harris Beach PLLC Haylor Freyer & Coon, Inc. James McGuinness & Associates Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC Phillips Lytle LLP

Barton & Loguidice

Siemens Industry, Inc.

Health Economics Group, Inc.

State Advisers LLC

LaBella Associates

The Bank of New York Mellon

NACo FSC/Optum

The Paige Group

Nationwide Retirement Solutions

The Pike Company

NYMIR

U.S. Imaging

NYSAuctions.com

Workday

OneGroup PERMA PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP ProAct, Inc. SolarCity SUEZ

Special Event Sponsors

Exhibitors

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Bonadio & Co., LLP, CPAs and Consultants FTN Financial Jefferies LLC KeyBanc Capital Markets NYMIR PERMA PFK O'Connor Davies, LLP three+one

Auctions International, Inc. Collar City Auctions Realty & Mgmt, Inc. Crown Castle Good Energy, L.P. New York Power Authority NYMIR Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP Systems East, Inc.

Silver Sponsors

Gold Sponsors Collar City Auctions Realty & Mgmt, Inc. Drescher & Malecki LLP Harris Beach PLLC Insero & Co., CPA's KeyBanc Capital Markets M&T Bank Roosevelt & Cross Incorporated

Auctions International, Inc. First Niagara Bank, N.A. Humana J.P. Morgan Lumsden & McCormick, LLP Nationwide Retirement Solutions NBT Bank NYSAuctions.com

Save T he Date January 30 - February 1, 2017

2017 Legislative Conference Desmond Hotel and Conference Center Albany, NY

THANK YOU

NYSAC Thanks the Sponsors of the 50th Annual County Finance School OneGroup Piper Jaffray & Co. Raymond F. Wager CPA P.C. SaxBST Trespasz & Marquardt, LLP Tyler Technologies Venesky & Company Wells Fargo

Thursday Dinner Sponsors Bonadio & Co., LLP, CPAs and Consultants Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc. Jefferies LLC NYSAuctions.com Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Winter 2017 Magazine Deadline: November 21 • Submit articles of 750 words to mlavigne@nysac.org To advertise, contact Juanita Munguia at jmunguia@nysac.org

www.nysac.org 39

COUNSEL'S CORNER

Local Laws: Sports, Veterans, Pets By Patrick Cummings Counsel, New York State Association of Counties

YSAC tracks and makes available local laws that have been passed by your fellow counties. Understanding what other counties are doing to address local issues or needs can provide an idea for you to use in some variation in your county. Below is a brief description of unique and recently passed local laws by our members.

County Enacts Local Law to Provide Designated Parking for Veterans On August 3, 2016 Suffolk County enacted a local law to provide designated parking for veterans at county facilities. The Legislature found that many veterans visit county facilities to obtain necessary services and interact with government officials. Accordingly, the county local law designates two spots at each county facility as dedicated parking for veterans in recognition of veteran sacrifices. Veterans will be provided stickers or markers for their car to indicate they are eligible to park in such provided spaces. The law indicates that those found parking in these designated spaces that are not veterans could be subject to a fine up to $100.00.

Erie County Local Law to Help Lower the Concussion Rate in Youth Contact Sports On August 1, 2016, Erie County adopted a local law to help prevent head trauma from concussions in youth sports. The county Legislature found that contact sports such as football, hockey, and soccer have been an integral part of youth development in their community but found growing evidence that concussions can result from such sports. The Legislature stated the intent of this legislation is to ensure that all minors playing organized contact or collision youth sports in the county are properly supervised and that those who have been entrusted with the safety of minors are sufficiently trained in identifying concussion related symptoms. The local law states the following requirements must be met by the organization operating youth sports with collisions: 1) at least one supervisor of minors playing organized collision or contact sport must have taken a course in concussion safety within two years; 2) the sport organization shall, to the best of

40 N YSAC News Fall 201 6

their ability, maintain a record that shows that those who supervise minors playing organized contact or collision, youth sports within their organization have taken a course in concussion safety.

Suffolk County Requires Pet Groomers to Register with the County to Help Ensure Pet Safety On July 19, 2016 Suffolk County adopted “Ginger’s Law” in relation to the safety and well-being of pets. The Legislature found that many families choose to use pet groomers to maintain their pet's appearance, health or well-being, entrusting them to the care of professionals skilled in this field. The legislature further found that some pet grooming companies do not adhere to appropriate safety and sanitary practices, endangering the health and well-being of pets placed in their care. In reaction to these findings, the county now requires all pet groomers and pet grooming companies to register with the county if they operate within their county. Registration fees are$50.00 per year for each company and $25.00 per year for each groomer. Registration for businesses includes the name, address and principal owner of the business. Registration for groomers requires proof of either: 1) training in the field of pet grooming for at least 150 hours, either as an apprentice or from a school or institution that provides instruction in pet grooming, or 2) has continually operated a business providing pet grooming services or has been employed as a pet groomer for a period of at least one year prior to the effective date of this law. This local law also sets health and safety standards that all grooming businesses operating within the county must adhere to. These standards include but are not limited to: 1) provide temporary housing for pets that is in good repair, safe, secure and stable; 2) offer fresh water to any pet confined more than four hours; 3) ensure all equipment, tools and products used by pet grooming businesses shall be in good working condition. Any pet grooming business which violates any of the provisions of this law shall be subject to a civil penalty of no less than $500 nor

Counsel’s Corner more than $1,000 for each violation. Each action in violation of this law shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.

Nassau County Passes a Local Law to Ensure More Service-Disabled Veterans Have Greater Participation in County Contracts On May 5, 2016 Nassau County adopted a local law which seeks to increase the participation among service-disabled veterans on county contracts. The Legislature found that in order to honor the service to and sacrifice for our nation, that it is in the best interest of Nassau County to promote and encourage the continuing economic development of service-disabled veteranowned businesses. In order to achieve higher participation rates on county contracts this local law requires the County Office of Minority Affairs to be responsible for outreach and education to help achieve these goals. Additionally the law requires all county departments to make good faith efforts to ensure greater participation in county contracts by aiming for at least a six percent participation rate. All departments and offices of Nassau County shall maintain documents reflecting the good faith efforts made.

Cattaraugus County and Cortland County Pass Legislation Raising the Legal Age to Purchase Tobacco to 21 On June 30 2016, Cortland County passed a local law raising the legal age to purchase tobacco in their county to be set at age 21 or older. On September 21, 2016 Cattaraugus passed a similar local law. Both legislatures stated these laws were in keeping with the desire to protect the public interest, welfare and health of all persons within their counties. These local laws were influenced in part by findings by the Institute of Medicine which found a strong association between younger age initiation and higher rates of nicotine dependence. Both local laws define prohibited-under21 tobacco products sales to include, but not limited to: cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine.

NYSAC Scenes: Summer-Fall 2016 The Fall 2016 NYSAC County Government Institute graduates were recognized at the Fall Seminar. (L-R) Executive Director Stephen Acquario, Jefferson County Legislator William Johnson, Wayne County's Patrick Schmitt, Yates County Treasurer Winona Flynn, and NYSAC President William E. Cherry.

Parlaimentarians Herman Geist and Doug Berwanger at the NYSAC Board of Directors meeting.

NYSAC's Stephen Acquario and Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino welcomed a delegation of local leaders from Bangladesh. The delegation learned about county government, and government in New York State.

N Y S AC ' s Pa t r i c k Cummings, Stephen Acquario, and Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino met with a second delegation of local leaders from Bangladesh. The group learned about county government, and government structure in New York State.

Former Chemung County Legislator and Chairman of the I-86 Coalition, Ted Bennett with Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and Chemung County Legislature Chair Donna Draxler at the NYSAC Fall Seminar in Niagara County.

County Executives held a press conference at the Fall Seminar to focus on the shortcomings of the federal Family First legislation.

High school students Tess LaVigne and Josie Catalano were part of NYSAC's pilot "Participation in Government" program this summer. The two learned about counties and civic engagement.

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