GOVERNOR HOCHUL MEETS WITH DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PRESIDENT LUIS ABINADER AND WELCOMES DOMINICAN DELEGATION TO NEW YORK STATE DURING 81ST SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Governor Hochul Continues Strengthening New York’s Partnership With the Dominican Republic Following Last November’s Visit

New York State Hosted Five-Day Emergency Management and Infrastructure Protection Summit To Advance Historic Bilateral Agreement and Share Community Protection Best Practices

New York State Bridge Authority and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Deliver Critical Infrastructure Protection and Post-Earthquake Inspection Training

Summit Training Curriculum Focuses on Tactical Search and Rescue, Emergency Communications and Critical Responder Mental Health Support

Governor Kathy Hochul met with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and Congressmember Adriano Espaillat to further strengthen the relationship between New York State and the Dominican Republic. This meeting builds on the Governor’s commitment during a visit to the Dominican Republic last November, in which the two leaders signed a historic bilateral agreement to share expertise, resources and innovative technologies aimed at protecting citizens from the growing threat of extreme weather. Governor Hochul also welcomed a delegation of approximately 40 emergency management and public safety representatives from the Dominican Republic to New York State for a comprehensive training and collaboration summit. The Emergency Management and Infrastructure Protection summit, which runs from September 21-25, is hosted at the State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC) in Oriskany and focuses on emergency planning, response and protecting communities from future disasters.

“As home to around a million Dominican Americans, New York shares an unbreakable bond and a vital partnership with the Dominican Republic as we confront climate change,” Governor Hochul said. “We are honored with the visit of the Dominican President and we welcome our colleagues to Oriskany to share critical emergency strategies, tactical training and innovations that will save lives and build resilience from New York to the Caribbean.”

This partnership directly advances the historic Declaration of Intent signed by Governor Hochul and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader to share expertise, resources and innovative technologies to protect citizens in both jurisdictions from the growing threat of extreme weather. The specialized training curriculum was developed through a joint effort between the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA).

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said, “Saving and protecting the lives of Dominicans is a top priority for our government, and we highly value this collaboration agreement with the Governor of New York, which advances that objective.”

Consul General of the Dominican Republic in NY Jesús Vásquez Martínez said, “This initiative reflects the strength of a relationship built over years, which today continues to advance toward increasingly concrete areas of collaboration, training and knowledge exchange.”

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “New York is home to some of the nation’s most experienced emergency management professionals who have dedicated their lives to keeping their communities safe. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s record investments in emergency management staff and training, we are proud to partner with Dr. Alacantara and the New York State Bridge Authority to host this delegation of public safety professionals from the Dominican Republic at our State Preparedness Training Center. By sharing our expertise in preparedness, search and rescue, emergency communications and recovery, we are helping to build safer, more resilient communities in both New York State and the Dominican Republic.”

New York State Bridge Authority Executive Director Dr. Minosca Alcantara said, “The people of the Dominican Republic and New York have long shared strong ties rooted in our communities, history, and shared commitment to public service. That relationship was further strengthened through the historic Declaration of Intent signed by Governor Hochul and President Abinader last year, which established a framework for greater cooperation in areas including disaster preparedness, emergency response and mitigation. This week’s training visit is a meaningful opportunity to build on that commitment by bringing together emergency operations professionals from New York and the Dominican Republic to exchange knowledge, share best practices and strengthen our ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies. These kinds of partnerships not only deepen the ties between our two governments, but also help ensure that we can learn from one another and better protect the communities we serve.”

NYSBA Board of Commissioners Chair Joan McDonald said, “This week’s visit offers a unique opportunity for our state to share its expertise in emergency response and infrastructure management with a nation that many New Yorkers are closely connected to. I applaud Governor Hochul, Dr. Alcantara, and Commissioner O’Leary for their leadership on this initiative, as well as to all who coordinated the logistics to make this international exchange and training exercise a reality. I’m sure this will not only be of invaluable benefit to the Dominican Republic, but also a chance for New York to continue learning and strengthen its own resiliency.”

Throughout the five-day summit, which began on Monday, the delegation will be engaging in a rigorous curriculum featuring presentations, hands-on demonstrations, and tactical exercises led by experts from DHSES (including the Office of Emergency Management, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Office of Interoperable and Emergency Communications, Disaster Recovery and the Training/UAS program), NYSBA, the New York State Department of State and the University at Albany, SUNY.

The training program is structured around key operational areas:

• Tactical Search and Rescue: Participants will engage in hands-on demonstrations, led by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control, utilizing the SPTC’s specialized Swift Water Flood Training (SWFT) simulator, ropes course and rubble pile to train on collapsed structure operations, building inspections and post-earthquake structural inspection protocols.

• Advanced Technology and Drone Integration: Building on New York’s partnership with NUAIR, the delegation will participate in hands-on flight demonstrations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drones) for urban search and rescue, woodland search, HAZMAT response and law enforcement operations.

• Emergency Communications and Public Alerting: Experts will instruct participants on the infrastructure of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), subscriber-based alert networks such as NY-Alert and development of robust emergency communications plans featuring a case study on response efforts during Hurricane Helene.

• Disaster Recovery and Policy: Sessions will cover disaster assistance and prevention programs, and code development and enforcement in New York State.
• Responder Well-Being: Recognizing that disaster response takes a significant psychological toll, the curriculum includes dedicated sessions on mental health. Dr. Amy Nitza from the University at Albany will deliver a specialized presentation on managing operational stress and utilizing AI-based tools to support mental health in underserved communities. NYSBA will also present on its Workplace Trauma Resilience and Employee Assistance Program.

To conclude the training program on Friday, the delegation will participate in a discussion-based Emergency Operations Center (EOC) exercise centered on an earthquake scenario.

In June this year, ESD completed a trade mission to the Dominican Republic as part of the initiatives from the agreement between Governor Hochul and President Abinader during her official visit in November 2025. The Trade mission brought together New York State companies representing sectors including apparel, beauty, healthcare, defense, food and beverage to explore new market opportunities, build relationships with public- and private-sector leaders and strengthen economic ties between New York State and the Caribbean.

About the 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, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov.

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