NORWICH – With much of New York State still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, more efficient emergency management and preparedness has become a priority in New York State. Emergency management made its way to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s agenda for the coming year, leaving local emergency responders pondering the potential changes to come.

“Overall, the Governor is putting some emphasis on emergency management and preparedness. It’s an area we’ve been pushing for a number of years, but having additional leverage from the top will help aid those efforts,” said City of Norwich Emergency Management Officer A. Wesley Jones.

Several initiatives were outlined in the governor’s State of the State address Wednesday. Among them, the creation of a larger and more efficient emergency response network for local, state and federal authorities. Cuomo proposed that a uniform training system be run by SUNY and CUNY. “We want all emergency personnel in this state to receive the same training, so we all have the same protocols, we all have the same understanding, and there are no communication issues in the midst of a crisis,” he said.

“We’re always pushing preparedness. I think if there’s a state-wide initiative with the same message, it would be beneficial,” said Jones. Jones also explained that while certain professional development and education courses are available in emergency management, there’s no college degree program currently available. “It could definitely be a help if everyone was on the same page,” he said. “There’s a lot of different scenarios that can happen and certainly, we need to be prepared for not just one or two things, but for whatever may happen ... the question now is whether this would be a requirement or a recommendation.”