By Renee Baruch

What would happen if the now infamous error in communication in Hawaii had occurred in New York? And what would happen in a real emergency?

Eliot Calhoune and Omar Bourne of New York City Emergency Management say that false alarms are very unlikely to occur in New York City since there is significant redundancy built into the Alert procedure. Before any alert would be issued via a wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) as it did in Hawaii, the alert would be reviewed by a supervisor and then approved by Commissioner Joseph Esposito.

Different scenarios would result in different responses by the city. But were ICBMs headed in the direction of New York City, the message to New Yorkers would be different. Said Eliot Calhoune, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) Planner. The message issued by WEA would be “get inside, stay inside and stay tuned.” Calhoune stated that the safest places would be the center core of a large building or the underground basement of a structure in order to place as much brick, masonry or concrete between people and the threat.

Calhoune stated that were ICBM’s reportedly en route to the New York area, they would be “assumed” to be armed with nuclear warheads.

People of a certain age will remember Cold War era designations of basement fallout shelters, which were supposed to be equipped with food and water to last for weeks. Of course, those shelters have faded away along with the signs that used to be on many buildings. Which means that each person’s “go-bag” becomes even more essential and something every person should have at the ready to enable survival without assistance for at least 72 hours. And what should be in a “go-bag”?

• Copies of your important documents in a waterproof and portable container (insurance cards, birth certificates, deeds, photo IDs, proof of address, etc.)
• Extra set of car and house keys
• Copies of credit/ATM cards
• Cash (in small bills)
• Bottled water and nonperishable food, such as energy or granola bars
• Flashlight (Note: Traditional flashlight bulbs have limited lifespans. Light Emitting Diode (LED) flashlights, however, are more durable and last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs.)
• Battery-operated AM/FM radio
• Extra batteries/chargers
• A list of the medications each member of your household takes, why they take them, and their dosages. If you store extra medication in your Go Bag, be sure to refill it before it expires. Get prescription preparedness tips from the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
• First-aid kit
• Toiletries
• Notepad and pen
• Contact and meeting place information for your household, and a small regional map
• Lightweight raingear and Mylar blanket

If there are any pets, of course you would have to have food and water for the pet, a photo of the owner and pet (in case of separation) as well as plastic bags for the pet’s waste.

It is also critical to have a plan for various types of emergencies; where to reunite with family when it is safe to move about or when evacuation is necessary, who to contact, and where to shelter when called upon to shelter in place. Children should know what to do when their schools permit them to go home and where to go in the event home is not safe.

Our community is fortunate in that our Wireless Emergency Alert (unlike in Hawaii) would provide specific direction and would advise all citizens to shelter in place in the event of an attack. And since our WEA is limited to a 90-character word count, and cannot include either hyperlinks or images, the limited initial WEA might not include very much more information, said Calhoune. Thus the part of the message that says “stay tuned” is critical; further information will be communicated as known and possible.

In essence, the preparation for all emergencies remains the same; a go-bag and a plan. The plan becomes even more important in the event of an attack since infrastructure may be knocked out and information and communication might not be available.

And what about an “all clear”? How would citizens know when it is safe to emerge?

Will a siren sound? No. Those all-clear sirens are also a thing of the past. Once again the WEA would announce when it is safe to leave shelter. One of the benefits of the Wireless system is that it can be geo-targeted to a limited area. Most recently, when the Chelsea bombing occurred, the entire city was not alerted nor advised when the area was declared safe, only the immediate area received an alert. And in fact, on January 30, the FCC will vote on whether to enable even more targeted alerts; to within .10 of a mile of the area in danger.

Much has changed since September 11, 2001, when the mayor of the City was forced to flee the emergency management office, on foot, covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief. The Emergency Management department is now located in larger quarters in Brooklyn and has greatly increased the number of employees in the department. There is now a Citywide Incident Management System which integrates all agencies and departments of City Government to enable a Public Health Assessment, Fire Suppression, Law Enforcement, fatality and debris management, and many other aspects of public protection.

Since September 11, 2001, New York City has recovered from several emergencies, ranging from a bombing to major coastal storms. Reassuringly, New York has learned from each experience and implemented changes in its processes and planning. The watchword from all corners is the same as always. Be prepared! Have a go bag to ready yourself at a moment’s notice, have a plan, and know your options.

Photo by Bryan Jones.