New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo has formed three commissions to study how best to overhaul the state’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities and how to improve infrastructure to better withstand monster storms like Sandy. The commissions have a Jan. 3, 2013 deadline for making recommendations.

Major storms have revealed major weaknesses in the state’s transportation, energy, communications and health infrastructures, Cuomo said in a Nov. 16 statement. The new commissions are dubbed NYS 2100, NYS Respond and NYS Ready.

“Over the past two years, New York state has been hit by some of the most destructive storms in our state’s history, causing untold damage and the tragic loss of many lives,” Cuomo says. The commissions will “seriously examine existing systems and present a comprehensive blueprint so we can bring our emergency preparedness and response capabilities into the 21st century and ensure our infrastructure is built to survive major weather incidents.”

Cuomo “has been saying let’s look at how we build and where we build and that [severe weather events] are going to be the new reality,” says Mike Elmendorf, president and CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York State. “I think the big picture for the industry is how do we rebuild.”

New York

Carpenters Nail Down Volunteer Work After Storm

Building trades workers, including the New York City District Council of Carpenters along with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, began an organized volunteer effort on Staten Island on Nov. 9, the first part of a plan to help rebuild Superstorm Sandy-ravaged areas.

Meeting at the Federal Emergency Management Agency tent on Father Capodanno Blvd. in Staten Island, the workers began the first phase of relief—the cleanup process, which includes pulling out sheetrock and flooring, says Michael Bilello, executive secretary treasurer at the District.

Phase two, the operation phase, will consist of determining how best to help council members who have reported damage to their own property and requested assistance, Bilello says.

The third phase will be the rebuilding process itself.