Westchester County Emergency Management (WCEM) leads the County's year-round efforts to plan and prepare for hazards of concern that could impact Westchester's communities. Our team of dedicated and skilled Emergency Managers provides the leadership, support, and coordination needed to ensure Westchester County is ready to respond, and recover from disaster. WCEM projects and programs utilize an all-hazards approach that incorporates the pillars of Emergency Management: Mitigation, Planning, Response, and Recovery, with the focused goal of minimizing loss of life and property when disaster hits.
WCEM works collectively with local, state, federal, and private sector partners in emergency management to plan and prepare for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional responses to all-natural or man-made disasters.
Our activities are driven by the five mission areas of the National Preparedness Goal (FEMA):
- Prevention: Prevent, avoid or stop an imminent, threatened, or actual act of terrorism.
- Protection: Protect our citizens, residents, visitors, and assets against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allow our interests, aspirations, and way of life to thrive.
- Mitigation: Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters.
- Response: Respond quickly to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident.
- Recovery: Recover through a focus on the timely restoration, strengthening, and revitalization of infrastructure, housing, and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic, and environmental fabric of communities affected by a catastrophic incident.
WCEM is located at the New York State Department of Transportation Hudson Valley Traffic Management Center (TMC), 200 Bradhurst Avenue, Hawthorne, NY 10532.