NY Exec L § 20 (2021)
2021 New York Laws EXC - Executive Article 2-B - State and Local Natural and Man-Made Disaster Preparedness 20 - Natural and Man-Made Disasters; Policy; Definitions.

§ 20. Natural and man-made disasters; policy; definitions. 1. It shall be the policy of the state that:   a. local government and emergency service organizations continue their essential  role  as  the first line of defense in times of disaster, and that the state provide appropriate supportive  services  to  the  extent necessary;   b.  local  chief  executives  take  an active and personal role in the development and implementation of disaster preparedness programs and  be vested  with authority and responsibility in order to insure the success of such programs;   c. state and local natural disaster and emergency  response  functions be  coordinated  using  recognized  practices  in incident management in order to bring the fullest protection and benefit to the people;   d. state resources be organized and prepared for  immediate  effective response   to  disasters  which  are  beyond  the  capability  of  local governments and emergency service organizations; and   e. state and local plans, organizational  arrangements,  and  response capability  required  to execute the provisions of this article shall at all times be the most effective that current circumstances and  existing resources allow.   2.  As  used  in  this  article  the  following  terms  shall have the following meanings:   a. "disaster" means occurrence or imminent, impending or urgent threat of wide spread or severe damage, injury, or loss  of  life  or  property resulting  from  any  natural  or  man-made  causes,  including, but not limited to, fire, flood, earthquake,  hurricane,  tornado,  high  water, landslide,  mudslide,  wind,  storm,  wave  action,  volcanic  activity, epidemic, disease outbreak, air contamination, terrorism,  cyber  event, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, radiological accident, nuclear, chemical,  biological,  or bacteriological release, water contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse.   b.  "state  disaster  emergency"  means  a  period  beginning  with  a declaration  by  the governor that a disaster exists and ending upon the termination thereof.   c. "municipality" means a public corporation as defined in subdivision one of section sixty-six of the general construction law and  a  special district as defined in subdivision sixteen of section one hundred two of the real property tax law.   d.  "commission"  means  the  disaster preparedness commission created pursuant to section twenty-one of this article.   e. "emergency services organization" means a public or private agency, voluntary organization  or  group  organized  and  functioning  for  the purpose  of providing fire, medical, ambulance, rescue, housing, food or other services directed toward relieving human suffering, injury or loss of life or damage to property as a result  of  an  emergency,  including non-profit  and  governmentally-supported  organizations,  but excluding governmental agencies.   f. "chief executive" means:  (1) a county executive or manager of a county;  (2) in a county not having a county executive or manager, the chairman or other presiding officer of the county legislative body;  (3) a mayor of a city or village, except where a city or village has a manager, it shall mean such manager; and  (4) a supervisor of a town, except where a  town  has  a  manager,  it shall mean such manager.   g.  "Disaster  emergency  response  personnel"  means agencies, public officers,  employees,  or  affiliated  volunteers  having   duties   and  responsibilities   under   or  pursuant  to  a  comprehensive  emergency management plan.   h.  "Emergency  management  director"  means  the  government official responsible for emergency preparedness,  response  and  recovery  for  a county, city, town, or village.   i.  "incident management team" means a state certified team of trained personnel  from  different  departments,  organizations,  agencies,  and jurisdictions  within  the state, or a region of the state, activated to support  and  manage  major  and/or  complex   incidents   requiring   a significant number of local, regional, and state resources.   j.  "executive  level  officer"  means a state agency officer with the authority to deploy agency  assets  and  resources  and  make  decisions binding a state agency.   k.  "third  party  non-state  resources" means any contracted resource that is not owned or controlled by the state or a political  subdivision including,  but  not  limited  to,  ambulances,  construction  crews, or contractors.