NY Exec L § 156-G (2021)
2021 New York Laws EXC - Executive Article 6-C - Office of Fire Prevention and Control 156-G - Establishment of Teams for Urban Search and Rescue, Specialty Rescue and Incident Support.

§ 156-g. Establishment of teams for urban search and rescue, specialty rescue  and incident support. 1. Authorization to establish urban search and rescue task  force  teams,  specialty  rescue  teams,  and  incident support teams. The commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency  services after consultation with the state fire administrator shall have the authority to establish,  organize,  administer,  support, train,  and  fund  urban  search  and rescue task force teams, specialty rescue teams, and  incident  support  teams  created  pursuant  to  this section.   2.  Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:  (a) "urban search and rescue task force team" shall mean a specialized team or group of teams, formed pursuant to this section, organized  with capabilities  equivalent  to  urban  search  and rescue task force teams established under the federal emergency management agency  in  order  to assist  in  the  removal  of  trapped  victims  in  emergency situations including, but not limited to, collapsed structures, trench excavations, elevated locations, and other technical rescue situations.  (b) "specialty rescue team" shall  mean  a  specialized  team,  formed pursuant   to  this  section,  organized  to  provide  technical  rescue assistance to first responders including, but  not  limited  to,  canine search  and  rescue/disaster  response, cave search and rescue, collapse search and  rescue,  mine  and  tunnel  search  and  rescue,  and  swift water/flood  search  and  rescue teams. Such teams shall be aligned with one or more of the search  and  rescue  categories  within  the  federal emergency management agency's national resource typing system.  (c)  "incident  support  team"  shall  mean a team of trained response personnel,  formed  pursuant  to  this  section,  organized  to  provide coordination    with    governmental   agencies   and   non-governmental organizations as well as technical,  and  logistical  support  to  urban search and rescue task force teams and specialty rescue teams.   3.  Appointment  and  training  of  team  members;  equipment. (a) The commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services is hereby authorized to appoint members to any team created pursuant  to this  section. Team membership shall consist of local emergency response personnel, state agency personnel and specialty personnel as required.  (b)  The  commissioner  of  the  division  of  homeland  security  and emergency  services  shall be responsible for training and equipping the teams established pursuant to this section and for training  such  other teams  located  within  the  state  for  response to man-made or natural disasters to the extent appropriations are provided. The commissioner of the division of homeland security and emergency services  shall  support the  capabilities of each team established pursuant to this section with the  necessary  training  and  equipment  to  ensure  mobilization   and deployment for rapid response to emergencies and disasters to the extent appropriations are provided.   4.  Accreditation  of  teams.  The  commissioner  of  the  division of homeland security and emergency services shall  have  the  authority  to establish  an  accreditation  program  to  review  and  evaluate new and existing local and regional technical rescue capabilities,  and  provide recommendations  for  capability  enhancement  in  accordance  with  the national incident management system, the  national  response  plan,  and nationally recognized standards.   5.  Defense,  indemnification  and insurance coverage of team members. Members of the teams formed pursuant to this section who  are  volunteer firefighters, volunteer ambulance workers, municipal or state employees, or  employees of a non-governmental entity shall be provided coverage by their  respective  municipalities,  organizations,  and   entities   for  purposes  of  sections seventeen and eighteen of the public officers law and/or  other  defense  and  indemnification   coverage   and   workers' compensation  coverage pursuant to applicable provisions of the workers' compensation  law  or  benefits pursuant to applicable provisions of the volunteer firefighters' benefit law or the volunteer ambulance  workers' benefit  law.  Individuals  appointed to an urban search and rescue task force team, a specialty rescue team or an  incident  support  team,  for which  such  coverage  is not available, shall be deemed volunteer state employees for purposes of section seventeen of the public  officers  law and section three of the workers' compensation law.   6. Rules and regulations. The commissioner of the division of homeland security  and  emergency services after consultation with the state fire administrator  shall  have  the  authority  to  promulgate   rules   and regulations  as  deemed necessary relating to the accreditation of urban search and rescue task force teams, specialty rescue teams, and incident support  teams  and  to  the  formation  and  operation  of  all   teams established pursuant to this section.   7.  Funding.  The division of homeland security and emergency services shall expend the necessary monies for  training,  equipment,  and  other items  necessary  to  support  the operations of urban search and rescue task force teams, specialty rescue  teams  and  incident  support  teams within  appropriations  provided.  The division of homeland security and emergency  services  also  may,  pursuant  to   applicable   rules   and regulations  approved  by  the  director  of the division of the budget, approve grants of funds from monies allocated and appropriated  for  any or all such teams.