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Gov.
George E. Pataki has announced that New York State is ready to send New
York National Guard personnel and equipment to Texas to assist in
rescue, response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Rita if it
becomes necessary.
Pataki has directed the State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) to
reach out to Texas state officials and offer hurricane response
support, similar to what New York has offered and provided to Louisiana
and Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This includes teams
of experienced emergency management personnel, New York Air National
Guard airlift support, Army National Guard helicopters and aviation
personnel, a command and control team, communication personnel and
equipment, security, engineer and transportation assets - a task force
approaching 1,000 personnel in total.
"Once again, we're ready to send help to our friends in the Gulf Coast
should they need it," Gov. Pataki said. "The thoughts and prayers of
all New Yorkers are with the people of Texas as they brace for the
impact of this latest storm, and we stand ready to continue to help the
thousands of people in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi who were
affected by Katrina.”
The
New York State Emergency Management Office continues to maintain
contact with Gulf Coast states through the Emergency Management
Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assess the situation and needs of impacted
states. Once needs are identified, New York State stands ready to act.
New
York State is a member of the national Emergency Management Assistance
Compact, which establishes a mutual partnership with other states to
provide aid and assistance in times of emergency. When states request
assistance through EMAC, the compact facilitates member states sending
personnel and equipment to help disaster relief efforts, augmenting the
affected state's resources and additional assistance from the federal
government. 9-22-05
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