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The legislation, designed to improve responses to future storms, includes generators at gas stations and downed-wire laws that require utility companies to submit an annual emergency response plan to the Public Service Commission for review and approval.
In addition, Carlucci also helped draft a memorandum that will avoid any stalled action during emergencies such as Sandy.
Through the legislation, members of local labor union 17/754 can be used, in the event of an emergency, to cut down on outage time and assist their neighbors throughout the community.
The agreement was first implemented in October 2013.
Since then, over 250 members of union 17/754 have been trained to supplement Orange & Rockland Utilities during an emergency.
Carlucci said that having trained members of the community supporting their neighbors would be essential if another major storm struck.
“Three years after one of the worst natural disasters in the history of New York state, many throughout Rockland and Westchester still remember the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy quite vividly,” he said. “Although our community has rebuilt and moved forward, we must look back on how we can ensure the problems many experienced during Superstorm Sandy are not repeated during future storms. Working together with gas stations, utility companies, local labor unions and my partners in government, we have the resources in place to protect residents and uphold public safety.”
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