There are many things you can do to prepare for an emergency that may be the result of a natural disaster or act of terrorism. The Northeast is subject to year-round conditions which could pose a threat and create a disaster situation. A severe storm, flood, fire, windstorm, utility failure, hazardous materials spill, or act of terrorism may require the implementation of an emergency preparedness plan.
NYSHFA | NYSCAL will continue to keep you informed before, during and after a regional or statewide emergency or disaster. Please visit this site regularly to stay up-to-date on the most current information available.
Notices:
December 13 – 15
Emergency Preparedness » Weather Storm Watch/Warning. See PDF links below for specifics.
- National Weather Service 1
- National Weather Service 2
- National Weather Service 3
- National Weather Service 4
Health & Medical Preparedness Actions/Recommendations
We ask our Health and Medical ESF partners to review their emergency plans and prepare for potential impacts, including ensuring that adequate staffing is in place throughout the event. Agencies should be communicating with their staff, partners, suppliers and clients about the forecast weather and how it may affect operations/travel.
Stay Informed
- Call 311
- Sign up for Notify NYC: https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/
- Visit NWS website: http://www.weather.gov/okx/
- eFINDS Mobile-ReleaseNotes-3.1 January 2019
- Surveyor-Tool Simplified
- State Operations Manual – Appendix Z Emergency Preparedness
NYS Department of Health Emergency Preparedness
ASSISTED LIVING EP REGULATIONS:
- AH: Disaster and Emergency Planning
- EHP: Disaster and Emergency Procedures
- ALR/SNALR/EALR: Disaster and Emergency Planning
SKILLED LIVING EP REGULATIONS:
- https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/
- https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/emergency/health_care_providers/
- New York Emergency Alert
- New York State Department of Health – Aware/Prepare Emergency Preparedness Homepage
Information and resources for families, individuals, caregivers, and health care providers. - New York State Department of Health – Aware/Prepare Resources for Health Care Providers
Emergency preparedness fact sheets, tools, and resources especially for health care providers. - NYCEM Health and Medical ESF distribution list at HealthMedicalESFList@oem.nyc.gov
- New York State Department of Health
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- Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic & Treatment Centers
(including Community Health Centers):
CAPITAL REGION
Program Director: 518-408-5329
CENTRAL REGION
Program Director: 315-477-8592
METROPOLITAN REGION
Program Director: 212-417-5990
WESTERN REGION
Program Director: (Buffalo) 716-847-4357 (Rochester)585-423-8141
CENTRAL OFFICE
Division Director: 518-402-1004
- Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic & Treatment Centers
-
- Division of Nursing Homes and ICF / IID Surveillance:
CAPITAL REGION
Program Director: 518-408-4372 (or) 518-408-5433
CENTRAL REGION
Program Director: 315-477-8417
METROPOLITAN REGION
Program Director: 212-417-6197
WESTERN REGION
Program Director: (Buffalo) 716-847-4348 , (Rochester) 585-423-8019
CENTRAL OFFICE
Division Director: 518-408-1267
- Division of Nursing Homes and ICF / IID Surveillance:
-
- Adult Care Facility and Assisted Living Surveillance Program:
CAPITAL REGION
Program Director: 518-408-5287
CENTRAL REGION
Program Director: 315-477-8472
METROPOLITAN REGION
Program Director: 212-417-4440
WESTERN REGION
Program Director: (Rochester) 585-423-8185
CENTRAL OFFICE
Division Director: 518-408-1133
- Adult Care Facility and Assisted Living Surveillance Program:
-
- Division of Home and Community Based Services:
CAPITAL REGION
Program Director: 518-408-1128
CENTRAL REGION
Program Director: 315-477-8422
METROPOLITAN REGION
Program Director: 212-417-4970
WESTERN REGION
Program Director: (Buffalo) 716-847-4655 , (Rochester) 585-423-8142
CENTRAL OFFICE
Division Director: 518-473-9871
- Division of Home and Community Based Services:
- Regional Survey Offices
CAPITAL DISTRICT
Kim Valenti: 518-408-5433
CENTRAL NEW YORK
Nancy Finnigan: 315-477-8417
WESTERN NY – BUFFALO
Joe Egnaczak: 716-847-4348
WESTERN NY – ROCHESTER
Joe Egnaczak: 585-423-8020
MARO – NYC – PD
Leah Ryer: 212-417-4900; Shawn Dudley: 212-417-4900 ; Kanu Basak: 212-417-4900 ; Clement Ogbonna: 212-417-4900
MARO – LONG ISLAND
Leah Ryer: 631-851-3610
MARO – NEW ROCHELLE
Leah Ryer: 914-654-7058
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Workplace Violence
Violence in the workplace can range from a bomb threat to being physically attacked by a fellow employee or patient to being verbally abused or harassed by a boss or coworker. The following resources provide information on how to deal with violence in your workplace.
Workplace Violence ResourcesActive Shooter
If an armed gunman enters your facility and started shooting, you have no time to learn how to deal with the situation. The resources listed below will help you plan and prepare so you will know what to do if an active shooter enters your facility.
Active Shooter ResourcesCyber Alert
Several federal agencies have identified that the actor known as Sandworm or Voodoo Bear is using a new malware, referred to here as Cyclops Blink. This advisory summarizes the VPNFilter malware it replaces, and provides more detail on Cyclops Blink, as well as the associated tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) used by Sandworm
NYSDOH wanted to alert IT staff to make sure there is no impact on medical devices:
- New Sandworm Malware Cyclops Blink Replaces VPNFilter | CISA
- NYSDOH_Cybersecurity_Reporting_Procedure.2020.11.2
CISA recommends all organizations—regardless of size—adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting their most critical assets. Recommended actions include:
Reduce the likelihood of a damaging cyber intrusion
- Validate that all remote access to the organization’s network and privileged or administrative access requires multi-factor authentication.
- Ensure that software is up to date, prioritizing updates that address known exploited vulnerabilities identified by CISA.
- Confirm that the organization’s IT personnel have disabled all ports and protocols that are not essential for business purposes.
- If the organization is using cloud services, ensure that IT personnel have reviewed and implemented strong controls outlined in CISA’s guidance.
- Sign up for CISA’s free cyber hygiene services, including vulnerability scanning, to help reduce exposure to threats.
Take steps to quickly detect a potential intrusion
- Ensure that cybersecurity/IT personnel are focused on identifying and quickly assessing any unexpected or unusual network behavior. Enable logging in order to better investigate issues or events.
- Confirm that the organization’s entire network is protected by antivirus/antimalware software and that signatures in these tools are updated.
- If working with Ukrainian organizations, take extra care to monitor, inspect, and isolate traffic from those organizations; closely review access controls for that traffic.
Ensure that the organization is prepared to respond if an intrusion occurs
- Designate a crisis-response team with main points of contact for a suspected cybersecurity incident and roles/responsibilities within the organization, including technology, communications, legal and business continuity.
- Assure availability of key personnel; identify means to provide surge support for responding to an incident.
- Conduct a tabletop exercise to ensure that all participants understand their roles during an incident.
Maximize the organization’s resilience to a destructive cyber incident
- Test backup procedures to ensure that critical data can be rapidly restored if the organization is impacted by ransomware or a destructive cyberattack; ensure that backups are isolated from network connections.
- If using industrial control systems or operational technology, conduct a test of manual controls to ensure that critical functions remain operable if the organization’s network is unavailable or untrusted.
By implementing the steps above, all organizations can make near-term progress toward improving cybersecurity and resilience. In addition, while recent cyber incidents have not been attributed to specific actors, CISA urges cybersecurity/IT personnel at every organization to review Understanding and Mitigating Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure. CISA also recommends organizations visit StopRansomware.gov, a centralized, whole-of-government webpage providing ransomware resources and alerts.
ResourcesPlease take the following measures to avoid phishing attempts, exposure of data from systems and the possible interruption of patient/resident services, such as:
- Screen emails for unknown senders
- Avoid use of personal email or social media at workstations
- Use caution in following email links and opening attachments by authenticating the sender
- Monitor the function of medical devices throughout the facility and take immediate action if any suspicious performance is recognized
Additionally, the announcement sent by the Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Critical Infrastructure Division, and from the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security pertaining to the terror threat to the U.S. homeland is the following:
Natural Disasters & Severe Weather
Fires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and extreme heat and cold can all wreak havoc on the physical structure of your facility and the safety of residents and patients. These resources can help you cope and keep those under your care safe and secure.
Natural Disasters & Weather Resources- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
Includes sub-pages of content on earthquakes, extreme heat, floods, hurricanes, landslides, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires, and extreme cold weather. - National Weather Service
- National Hurricane Center
- New York State Department of Health, Healthcare Facility Evacuation Center
- NOAA’s Emergency Alert System (EAS)
- NOAA’s Wireless Alerts
- Severe Weather Shelf Kit
- Storm Prediction Center – NOAA & NWS
- The Weather Channel
- AWS Fact Sheet