BOMA/NY named an official Partner in Preparedness

The Building Owners & Managers Association of New York (BOMA/NY), which has long championed the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Partners in Preparedness Program among its 750 member companies, has itself been named an official Partner by OEM. The honor is given in recognition of completing at least five activities that disseminate information about and promote preparedness activities. The association is also scheduled to be profiled as a Partner on the New York City OEM website. Highlights cover BOMA/NY's long-standing relationship with OEM and the role its property professionals play as the first line of defense for the more than three million tenants working in New York's office buildings. For two decades, BOMA/NY has provided the best possible preparedness information and educational tools to its members while forging relationships with OEM, the FDNY, NYPD and state and federal agencies such as DHS. Since 1999 and fully underway by the Millennium, BOMA/NY has had a seat at the NYC OEM Emergency Operations Center. BOMA/NY's readiness profile and member opportunities were further heightened following 9/11, when BOMA/NY took emergency preparedness to a new level by developing its Preparedness Committee, which served as a model for many other BOMA associations nationwide and internationally. The committee works with numerous government agencies to share information, provide guidance and establish/disseminate standards for responding to building operational issues. It has published a local and national industry guide on emergency drills for high-rise building staff and a second guide on pandemic flu preparedness. Additional initiatives include Lessons Learned debriefings and other strategies to better serve New York's working public.