Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Relief/Humanitarian Assistance

The mission of the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance, Inc. is to deliver the highest standards of emergency care to their community. Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance (BSBRA) is a volunteer non-profit organization that provides Emergency Medical Service to the communities of Bay Shore, Brightwaters and West Bay Shore. In addition, BSBRA provides EMS assistance to the residents of Fire Island via the Bay Shore Ferries as well as mutual aid to  neighboring departments. Our district is 25 square miles and has several points of interest including all major highways, Southside Hospital, Bay Shore Schools and the Bay Shore Fire District. BSBRA is separate from Bay Shore Fire Department and provides all medical care/ rehabilitation care for all fire scenes. BSBRA responds to approximately 4,000 calls a year for emergency medical assistance. Besides answering calls for emergency medical assistance, BSBRA also provides “standby” EMS services for special events such as concerts, sporting events, and other large gatherings of people. In 2009, Bay Shore- Brightwaters was named “EMS Agency of the Year” from Suffolk County and NYS Department of Health.

The Nassau County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), through a revision of the Nassau County Charter in 2002 was duly established to coordinate the County’s efforts during natural, technological, and civil hazards that may affect our County.  OEM is responsible for the mitigation, planning/preparedness, response, and recovery efforts associated with such events.  Through many planning and preparedness initiatives, such as our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, the staff at OEM remains vigilant in preparing local and our County’s government along with the residents should a disaster occur. Utilizing our new state of the art facility and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located in Bethpage, Nassau County OEM is ready to serve the residents of this great County in its time of need. 

NSEPC offers a website to help schools plan for and respond to emergencies. The site supports and expands upon the emergency response activities conducted by Nassau BOCES and its Nassau County partners: Office of Emergency Management, Police Department, County Departments of Health & Mental Health. The NSEPC project is funded through a United States Department of Education grant for Emergency Response and Crisis Management Planning in Schools.

It is the mission of the Emergency Medical Services Division of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services to provide the leadership, support, education, and cooperation necessary to enable the emergency medical services agencies serving our County to provide the best emergency medical care possible, and to provide that leadership, support, education, and cooperation in a lasting and professional partnership with the dedicated men and women of the Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services System.

Every year the division attempts to increase emergency preparedness efforts, coordinated educational offerings with quality improvement efforts, expanded educational opportunities, and continued to focus on EMS system quality improvement in conjunction with the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO).

The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation (CIHC) was founded in 1992 to promote healing and peace in countries shattered by natural disasters, armed conflicts, and ethnic violence. The Center employs its resources and unique personal contacts to stimulate interest in humanitarian issues and to promote innovative educational programs and training models. Our extensive list of publications and regular symposia address both the basic issues and the emerging challenges of humanitarian assistance.

The Center for International Humanitarian Cooperation offers several humanitarian training programs. These courses aim to prepare humanitarian workers and members of international relief agencies to perform more effectively while in conflict and post-conflict areas. Certain courses focus on specific topics that can arise in a humanitarian context, such as mental health issues, disaster management, and negotiation techniques, while others are more far reaching in nature. The CIHC can design training courses to suit any organization or geographical location and our academic teams teach throughout the world.

Established in 2003, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health works to understand and improve the nation's capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. NCDP has four focus areas: system readiness, disaster recovery, citizen engagement, and vulnerable populations. NCDP carries out research and policy analysis in these areas, and provides education, training and technical support to public health workers, local and regional governments, and public health, hospital, and community partners.

Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Since its foundation in 1968, Concern Worldwide—through its work in emergencies and long-term development—has saved countless lives, relieved suffering and provided opportunities for a better standard of living for millions of people. We work primarily in the countries ranked in the bottom 40 of the United Nations Human Development Report. Concern implements emergency response programs as well as long-term development programs in the areas of livelihoods, health, HIV&AIDS, and education.

Our mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives that last and spread without ongoing support from Concern.  Our role is to ensure that people living in extreme poverty are able to meet their basic needs, achieve their rights and manage their own development. We do so by working with communities and by using our shared experience and knowledge to address the root causes of extreme poverty. To achieve this mission we engage in long-term development work, respond to emergency situations, and seek to address the root causes of poverty. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security.

Good Dog’s mission is to elevate the stature and promote society’s understanding of the therapeutic value of the human-animal bond.  This is accomplished through the use of professionally-trained and supervised volunteer teams who work to aid the healing process in humans and enhance clients’ quality of life

Good Dog provides therapy dog services to people in health care, social service, educational and community facilities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and at disaster sites around the country.  Its highly-trained and fully-certified volunteer teams each consist of a human handler and therapy dog.  Good Dog focuses on work in the four divisions of Education, Health Care and Wellness, Research, and Disaster Response.

Happy Hearts Fund is a non-profit foundation dedicated to rebuilding schools and restoring hope and opportunity in the lives of children after natural disasters. We work during the period after emergency response is complete, implementing sustainable practices to ensure a lasting impact. Globally, HHF is active in seven countries and has built/rebuilt 70 schools and kindergartens. Since inception our programs have benefited more than 42,000 children and 350,000 community members.

The National Guard serves both state and federal governments. While the Guard originally focused on protecting local communities, it eventually grew into a force that complements the Active Duty Army when help is needed anywhere in the world. The biggest difference compared to other branches is that while Guard units are combat-trained and can be deployed overseas, they are just as likely to serve in their home communities. During local emergencies, Guard units assist residents endangered by storms, floods, fires and other disasters. Guard units deployed overseas may experience combat. Others may use expertise gained in civilian careers to build schools and hospitals, train local peacekeepers, or teach local farmers how to use land more efficiently. 

The New York City Pediatric Disaster Coalition (NYC PDC) was founded in 2008 with Federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH). The PDC was established to build a coalition of hospitals, public health, municipal services and community groups to ensure effective use of critical assets during and after a large scale disaster affecting children. The PDC is comprised of experts in emergency preparedness, pediatric critical care, surgery, emergency medicine, representatives from NYC DOHMH, NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). The PDC’s primary goals are to develop guidelines for pediatric pre-hospital management, hospital and inter-hospital transport of patients, and hospital-based pediatric critical care surge plans that would increase NYC PCC bed surge capacity. 

Established in 1996, the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) plans and prepares for emergencies, educates the public about preparedness, coordinates emergency response and recovery, and collects and disseminates emergency information. To accomplish this mission, OEM maintains a disciplined unit of emergency management personnel, including responders, planners, watch commanders, and administrative and support staff, to identify and respond to various hazards.

For more than 50 years, the New York State Office of Emergency Management and its predecessor agencies have been responsible for coordinating the activities of all State agencies to protect New York's communities, the State's economic well-being, and the environment from natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. NYS OEM routinely assists local governments, voluntary organizations, and private industry through a variety of emergency management programs including hazard identification, loss prevention, planning, training, operational response to emergencies, technical support, and disaster recovery assistance.

UNICEF is the world leader in providing humanitarian relief for children and their families. UNICEF was created after World War II to help children living in war–ravaged areas. And though its work has grown exponentially, UNICEF is still the leader when it comes to emergency and disaster relief efforts for children. With more than 11,000 staff worldwide; 350 warehouses globally; strategic transit hubs in Copenhagen, Dubai, Panama and Shanghai; and a 24/7 emergency operations center in New York, UNICEF stands ready to provide both immediate and long-term necessities—food, water, shelter, protection and physical as well as mental health care—whenever a crisis arises. UNICEF also works to reunite children with family and provides care for those who are orphaned.

AmeriCares is a non-profit emergency response and global health organization. In times of epic disaster or daily struggle, we deliver medical and humanitarian aid to people in need worldwide. We respond to disasters, the ones you see and the ones you don't. When an injured child is pulled from the rubble of a massive earthquake or an expectant mom struggles without health insurance, we are there with aid that restores health and saves lives. When poverty, disease, or deadly conflict cause health crises, we deliver medicines, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to a trusted network of clinics, hospitals and health care providers around the world. We also create and support programs that increase capacity, improve quality and provide more access to health care in the world’s poorest countries and here in the U.S. Today, we are at work in more than 90 countries, whenever and wherever people are in crisis, we are there—saving lives, restoring health and hope.

Every year, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides emergency medical care to millions of people caught in crises in more than 60 countries around the world. MSF provides assistance when catastrophic events — such as armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, or natural disasters — overwhelm local health systems. MSF also assists people who face discrimination or neglect from their local health systems or when populations are otherwise excluded from health care. On any given day, more than 22,000 doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts, administrators, and other qualified professionals working with MSF can be found providing medical care around the world.

MSF is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization that aims first and foremost to provide high-quality medical care to the people who need it the most. It does not promote the agenda of any country, political party, or religious faith, and, as such, endeavors to communicate its history, background, and capabilities to all parties in a given situation so that it may gain the necessary access to populations in need.

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. As quickly and as effectively as Save the Children responds to tsunamis and civil conflict, it works to resolve the ongoing struggles children face every day — poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease — and replaces them with hope for the future.

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation.

The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. In emergencies, we get food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, we use food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives. WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded. Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life.

WFP's five objectives are: To save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies; To prepare for emergencies; To restore and rebuild lives after emergencies; To reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition everywhere; and to strengthen the capacity of countries to reduce hunger.