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Allegany County EMS plan deadline, $3.5M flood estimates and hazard mitigation highlighted
Summary
Emergency Management reported the March 31 flood and a building collapse (no fatalities), with estimated damages around $3.5 million that did not meet FEMA declaration thresholds. The committee heard that a new State law requires a county EMS Comprehensive Plan by Dec. 31, 2026, and that no dedicated State funding has been identified.
Scott Golden, Director of Emergency Management, told the Public Safety Committee on May 6 that the county’s March 31 flooding occurred on the same day as an Emergency Operations Center training, underlining the value of exercises. Golden said a building collapse in Wellsville on April 17 was unoccupied and caused no loss of life. He reported preliminary estimated damages of about $3.5 million from the March flooding but said the event did not meet the FEMA disaster declaration threshold for that incident period.
Golden and Legislator Kevin “Fred” Demick discussed the importance of municipalities documenting repeated washouts and other storm damage so the county can better support Hazard Mitigation funding applications; Golden said a Hazard Mitigation meeting is scheduled for the 28th to prioritize documentation.
Deputy Director of Emergency Management Bonnie VanHousen briefed the committee on a new State requirement that every county adopt an EMS Comprehensive Plan. VanHousen said the New York State Department of Health's Division of EMS expects to release a framework in the coming weeks; counties must meet requirements by Dec. 31, 2026. The EMS Study and the EMS Advisory Board will provide data collection support, and the State recommends the EMS Coordinator lead county coordination before the Southwestern Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (SWREMS) reviews the plan. VanHousen said no dedicated State funding was identified to cover plan development.
Chairman Steven Havey asked about foreseeable difficulties; VanHousen said compiling and coordinating data across agencies will pose the biggest challenge but that the county has a good start. Committee members discussed timelines and how hazard documentation affects disaster eligibility for specific events versus cumulative claims.
