A state of emergency is a situation when a government has the power to put through policies it normally wouldn’t be allowed to, for the safety and protection of its citizens. It can be declared before, during or after a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict, medical pandemic or biosecurity threat and it gives the government significant powers.
The UK’s Civil Contingencies Act 2004 grants the British Sovereign, on the advice of the Privy Council, or a Minister of the Crown in exceptional circumstances, the power to introduce emergency regulations during an actual or imminent threat to national security. These are designed to reduce the impact of an event on people or the environment, and last for up to 30 days, but can be extended by Parliament. In the UK, the last time a State of Emergency was invoked was during 1974 in response to rising industrial action.
In the US, the President has the authority to declare a state of emergency, which gives him significant powers. This significantly increases the power of the executive branch and reduces the checks and balances that would typically restrict its actions. The President has the ability to deploy federal personnel and resources to states, and may also commandeer private assets like labor and vehicles.
In the case of New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a State of Emergency for eight southern counties, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester, as well as contiguous areas. The declaration puts NJOEM’s State Emergency Operations Plan into effect, which includes activating the State Emergency Operations Center. It also allows NJOEM to mobilize and deploy State assets including a mobile command vehicle, additional resources from the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster network, and the Amateur Radio Civil Emergency Service (RACES).
About the Author
