Lindsay Says Suffolk Should be Prepared for Attacks

In response to the resent car bombing incident in Times Square, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer William J. Lindsay unveiled legislation to create the Suffolk County Emergency Preparedness Council Tuesday morning.

This task force will make sure Suffolk County is prepared for a terrorist attack or any other catastrophic calamity, natural or man-made, according to Lindsay's office. 

"The attempted car bombing in Times Square last weekend underlines once again just how vulnerable our region is to a possible terrorist attack," said Lindsay in a statement. "In the worst case scenario of a nuclear, chemical or biological attack, Long Island could be cut from all direct access to the mainland, leaving us without access to food, medicine and essential supplies, and thousands if not millions of refugees might stream into Nassau and Suffolk from Queens and Brooklyn. Our emergency service personnel must meet now to share and coordinate plans to cope with a disaster of such terrible magnitude."

Suffolk County Legislator Jack Eddington aggress with the Presiding Officer.

"Serious catastrophes notwithstanding, we need only to look at some of the heavy storms in our recent past as well as our 9-11Mproblems on Long Island to know that it is an idea whose time has come," said Eddington, who chairs the Public Safety Committee for the Legislature. "I have been fighting for a more proactive approach to safety on Long Island.  I will be reaching out to the PO to be a member of the Council."  

This legislation would designate the Commissioner of the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services as chairman of the council, and members would include representatives of the Suffolk County Police Department, the Sheriff, the Park Police, the Department of Health Services, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Information Technology, the County Executive, and the Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature.

"This council and its work are long overdue," said Lindsay.

Lindsay has been working on the legislation to establish the council since January, according to his staff.