Emergency Management at the DOC: How Preparedness and Partnerships Strengthen NYC

By: Aleksander Gregov, New York City Department of Corrections, Preparedness and Resilience Fellow

Prior to my time as a John D. Solomon Fellow with the Department of Correction (DOC), most of my experience and academic studies focused on community development. While this discipline made me accustomed to the difficulty of balancing the needs of different stakeholders, the stakes are immensely more important with the public mandate the DOC has as both a public agency and one tasked with the care, custody, and management of thousands of inmates. In this, I saw a once in a lifetime opportunity to do that as the first fellow within the DOC’s new Preparedness and Resilience (P&R) unit. The security requirements involved in DOC presented a unique lens to emergency management that goes beyond the traditional practice found in non-correctional settings. The unit’s primary projects of creating and implementing Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plans, Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), and Incident Command System (ICS) standards were a mere drop in the bucket of the totality of activities our unit would perform. ?

One of the major projects I’ve been working on with the team is implementing ICS practices into the DOC daily routines and procedures as emergencies and incident response operations occur multiple times every day. By establishing these foundations, we can improve not only routine operations but also improve the DOC’s ability to withstand major disruptions. The expansion of COOP to all units and divisions allows them?to continue providing their unique and crucial roles should normal operations be unable to continue. I have been spearheading efforts in updating the plans of various divisions and in setting up discussions and exercises that are to follow. Both projects have exposed me to the complexity and interdependence of multiple functional areas that work together to fulfill our mission. While challenging, this organizational change will be necessary with the advent of four new Borough-Based Jails being built over the next decade. These new facilities will provide an exciting opportunity to include these principles in new facility EAPs, providing all-hazard guides and procedures for everything from fires to medical emergencies, civil unrest, weather emergencies, utility disruptions, and much more.?

My vision of emergency management activities expanded from this initial subset of activities once I participated in a NYPD Joint Operations Center (JOC) activation, where I represented the DOC in support of their operations. I witnessed in real time how DOC collaborated and fit into the complex structure of unified command operations necessary in protecting an entire city. Similar interagency collaboration is required at Bellevue Medical Correctional Center. The overlap of regular hospital activities and those for people in custody required that Health and Hospitals, FDNY, DOC, and several other agencies collaborate to ensure that the DOC can fulfill its mission without disturbing regular Bellevue operations. The details that must be crafted into any EAP, let alone one that intersects with another agency, cannot be done without the help of our partner agencies.?

While the aforementioned major projects are prescribed in city law and other departmental mandates, the P&R team also serves as a proactive element in implementing emergency preparedness. This became apparent during a facility tour, where I saw both of my supervisors inspecting physical infrastructure and conversing with both front-line staff and inmates. These details allow us to recognize potential gaps in our operations and to effectively?ameliorate them. Such vigilance has been translated into emergency preparedness plans centered around evacuation from Rikers Island in the event of catastrophic weather, communication plans for our civilian headquarters, and several others that ensure the DOC is prepared for all types of emergency scenarios. ?

As my fellowship culminates in these final four months, I look forward to the continued exposure I will have of how the government bureaucracy operates. I know my prior experience and continual learning of emergency management with the P&R Unit will allow me to make genuine progress on all the projects I am working on. It is my hope that I will be able to continue to apply my skills and knowledge in either the DOC or some other agency. I want to fully embrace the rewarding challenge of government work, collaborating and creating relationships that will allow all of us to make New York City a better place for everyone. ?