The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, in partnership with the University at Albany College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC), today announced it is hosting the third annual NY Hope Disaster Response exercise for college students at the State Preparedness Training Center on August 15-18. The four-day disaster response exercise gives students training in leadership; teamwork and confidence building; disaster response and medical operations; incident command system and interoperable communications, and emergency services partner agency training.

New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Patrick Murphy said, “The NY Hope exercise gives students the real-world disaster response training needed to prepare themselves for future careers in public safety. Not only are they faced with scenarios which could happen anywhere, but the world-class facilities at the State Preparedness Training Center allows students to learn and complete their work in a setting that mirrors a real-world threat environment.”

During the training, students will work together in teams to tackle challenges such as mass casualty situations, water rescue operations, secondary triage and treatment, damage assessment, wilderness search and rescue and emergency operations involving incident command and cyber incidents.

Each day, students will rotate through scenarios that attempt to recreate the challenges and conditions faced when a humanitarian organization responds to a disaster. For example, one student team will conduct damage assessments of a simulated collapsed structure at the training center’s urban search and rescue rubble pile while another team staffs an incident command center responsible for managing the structure collapse incident.  Throughout the scenarios, students will interact with role players serving as victims, including a group from the State Preparedness Training Center and CEHC's cutting-edge training role player program. The exercise teaches students the basics of triage, first aid, and use of the Incident Command System (ICS). 

Other training scenarios include having teams’ staff and Emergency Operations Center to process reports; handling a simulated cyber security attack and conducting a wilderness search and rescue of missing persons. Students will also receive rescue training from Office of Fire Prevention and Control technical rescue personnel at the state’s new Swift Water/Flood Rescue training facility. Using the new facility, students will learn how to use throw bags for rescuing people in swift water conditions, as well as observe demonstrations of an automobile trying to drive through a simulated flooded or washed out road and how these types of incidents often result in driver drowning situations.

College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity Dean Robert Griffin said, “We are proud to continue our partnership with DHSES in hosting a crisis simulation experience that introduces students to the challenges that come with responding to a real-world humanitarian disaster. This exercise embodies the mission of our college, which is to combine high-quality academics with experiential learning and training opportunities outside of the classroom.”

Students participating this week are representing several different universities and colleges around the country including UAlbany, Fairfield University, Elmira College, University at Buffalo, St. John Fisher, Northwest Missouri State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Twenty of the nearly 50 participating students are students at UAlbany. The exercise counts toward CEHC’s required 100 hours of training for graduation.

The NY Hope exercise, which provides free training to students, community members, and local and state responders, is sponsored by the Consortium for Humanitarian Service and Education, CEHC, Elmira College, and the University of Buffalo.

About the State Preparedness Training Center

The State Preparedness Training Center operated by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, affords state, local, and federal agencies a complex of training venues to conduct the entire spectrum of training.  From classroom lectures and discussions to reality- and high-performance scenario-based training, the SPTC offers opportunities for dynamic emergency first responder training.  The SPTC offers agencies realistic training environments such as a simulated city, residential housing complex, collapsed building rubble pile, woodland structures and other settings.  Now in its 13th year of operation, the SPTC annually trains thousands of New York’s first responders, including law enforcement, emergency medical services, and emergency management personnel, in a variety of areas including response to active shooter events, emergency vehicle operations, EMS special situations, and patrol officer survival.

About the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other man-made and natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the Division’s Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on Twitter, or visit dhses.ny.gov.

About The College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity:

The University at Albany’s first-in-the-nation College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) brings together people, technology and knowledge to better protect New Yorkers, the nation and the world. Launched by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2015, CEHC cuts across numerous academic disciplines – including public administration, criminal justice, digital forensics, atmospheric science, public health, political science, computer science and informatics. The college’s classroom work is supplemented by experiential learning opportunities where students can put theory to practice in the field. Its program offerings include two undergraduate degrees, one in emergency preparedness, homeland security and cybersecurity and a second in informatics, which offers a fully online concentration in information technology. The college also offers graduate degrees in information science, a fully online school library program, and certificates of graduate and advanced study. Through its partnership with DHSES, CEHC also provides continuing education and training to thousands of first responders every year. CEHC was designated an “iSchool” in July 2018 and will be the centerpiece of UAlbany’s $180 million Emerging Technology and Entrepreneurship Complex (ETEC).