New York Safety Assessment Program (formerly CEDAR)

The New York Safety Assessment Program (NYSAP) leverages state resources to provide professional engineers, architects, and code enforcement officials to assist local governments in evaluating the safety of their built environments following a disaster. NYSAP is a multi-agency initiative that involves employees from various New York State agencies. The New York State Department of State (DOS) serves as the lead agency for the program, and the DOS Emergency Management Unit functions as the lead coordinating entity, overseeing the program's administrative functions. 

The NYSAP mission is focused on conducting rapid evaluations and inspections of structures in areas where widespread damage has overwhelmed local resources.

The goals for conducting building safety evaluations are:

• Returning as many residents as possible to their homes and businesses while ensuring their safety.
• Relieving pressure on temporary shelter needs.
• Providing damage information to focus local recovery efforts. 

1. Conduct Rapid Evaluations of buildings in accordance with Applied Technology Council (ATC) ATC-20-1 and ATC-45 guidance.

2. Perform a limited initial environmental hazard survey as part of a building safety evaluation and alert appropriate supervisors, emergency responders, and specialists.

3. Perform a limited initial nonstructural hazard survey and provide that information to the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to administer and enforce the Uniform Code.

4. Categorize buildings as either Unsafe, Restricted Use, or Inspected (and appropriate for making by the AHJ with a red, yellow, or green placard, respectively), and FEMA Damage Category of Affected, Minor, Major, Destroyed, or Inaccessible.

5. Provide the AHJ with appropriate reports and safety assessment forms describing the conditions of each building inspected.

6. Immediately notify AHJ when labeling damaged buildings as unsafe so that the AHJ can implement safety measures and placard accordingly.

7. Provide local code officials with information to support recovery and rebuilding efforts. 

The FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the public. All are offered free of charge to those who qualify for enrollment. The FEMA Independent Study Program (IS) courses are listed below and have been approved for New York State In-Service Credit for code enforcement certification requirements.

For information on registering, taking the FEMA Independent Study courses, or any other course-related questions, please visit the FEMA EMI website at: https://training.fema.gov/is.

Click Here for additional information on receiving NYS In-Service Credit for completing the FEMA Independent Study courses.

The Department of State Emergency Management Unit has created a series of courses focusing on disaster response and recovery for code enforcement officials. Each course is 1 hour long and has been approved for New York State In-Service Credit for code enforcement certification requirements. 

NYSAP Volunteer Registry

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