Today, the Health Department is conducting the largest no-notice emergency response exercise in New York City history that will test our ability to respond to the release of a biological agent. Called RAMPEx, which stands for Rapid Activation for Mass Prophylaxis Exercise, the exercise involves notifying and deploying over 1,500 staff from more than a dozen City agencies and setting up 30 temporary locations that would be used to rapidly dispense life-saving medication in the event of an emergency. The majority of participants in today’s exercise were given no notice, meaning most participants were not informed of the day or time of the exercise, in order to better test and simulate a real emergency and response.
“The NYC Health Department is responsible for developing and executing plans for the mass dispensing of life-saving medicine in response to public health emergencies,” said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, First Deputy Commissioner of the Health Department. “This exercise demonstrates our commitment to ensuring we have the capability and resources to protect the health and safety of all New Yorkers in times of crisis.”
“There are over 8 million New Yorkers, 55 million tourists and over 5 million commuters that visit this city,” said Police Commissioner William J. Bratton. “This exercise will provide an opportunity to work closely with our emergency response partners to develop a safety plan that includes dispensing the proper medication in the event of a terrorist attack or public health emergency.”
“Today’s exercise is an important part of ensuring the readiness of our Department and other City agencies to work together to preserve the safety, health, and well-being of our children in the event of a citywide emergency,” said School Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Ensuring the safety and security of our students, teachers and school staff is always priority and we are committed to taking all necessary steps to achieve this.”
“It is our responsibility to make sure New York City is prepared for the variety of hazards we may face, from a coastal storm to a public health incident,” said NYC Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito. “Exercises like RAMPEx help to better prepare the City’s responding agencies for emergencies and keep New Yorkers safe.”
“HRA is proud to work with other City agencies to help prepare for possible emergencies. If disaster strikes, all City workers, not just those in the emergency services, are prepared to do their part to help their fellow New Yorkers recover,” said Human Resources Administration Commissioner Steven Banks, whose agency is providing hundreds of support staff for the exercise. “HRA is the largest social service agency in the nation with a workforce that is committed to serving millions of New Yorkers every day, and especially during times of emergency or crisis.”
This is a full-scale exercise, meaning the Health Department is physically executing multiple elements of our response plan. By conducting the exercise in this way, the Health Department can review each piece of our emergency response plan and learn of critical gaps that can be corrected with additional planning or changes in policy.
Public health preparedness plays an important role for the health and well-being of all New Yorkers. Since 9/11 and the 2001 anthrax attacks, there have been 16 known terrorist plots against New York City. There have also been naturally-occurring disease outbreaks, such as the H1N1 flu virus, and natural disasters, like coastal storms, and excessive heat. Today’s exercise will build on the capabilities we have developed in previous years to respond to public health emergencies.
For more information, please download an FAQ with additional details on the exercise. We also invite people to use the Twitter hashtag #RAMPEx for additional updates or to share photos from the exercise.
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