Declaration of State of Emergency
A State of Emergency is hereby declared in the Town of Rochester, effective at 5:00 p.m. on October 25, 2024
The State of Emergency has been declared due to drought conditions, which have affected the Town’s water supply and have increased the risk of wildfires.
Such conditions threaten or imperil the public safety of the citizens of the Town of Rochester.
This State of Emergency will remain in effect until conditions improve and rescinded by the Town Supervisor.
As the Chief Executive of the Town of Rochester, Ulster County, State of New York, I, Erin Enouen, exercised the authority given me under Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, to preserve public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being, and health of the citizens of this Municipality.
I hereby direct all departments and agencies of the Town of Rochester to take whatever steps necessary to protect life and property, public infrastructure, and provide such
DATED: October 25, 2024
Town of Rochester, New York
_________________________
Erin Enouen, Supervisor
cc: Kathleen Gundberg, Town Clerk
Taylor Bruck, Ulster County Clerk
Mary Lou Christiana, Esq., Town Attorney
Town of Rochester Web Site
Pat Davis, Accord Fire District Chief
TOWN OF ROCHESTER EMERGENCY ORDER NO. 2024-01
AN ORDER AND DECLARATION FOR A BURN BAN FOR ALL OF THE TOWN OF ROCHESTER UNDER LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS, the Town of Rochester Supervisor hereby finds that circumstances present within the Town of Rochester create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by outdoor burning; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Rochester Supervisor heretofore has declared a State of Emergency effective October 25, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., declaring that a state of emergency exists throughout the Town of Rochester due to severe drought conditions and the threat of wildfires caused by outdoor burning, and its imminent threat to the health and welfare of Town of Rochester citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Executive Order, in accordance with Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law, authorizes political subdivisions to take whatever prudent action that is necessary to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community; and
WHEREAS, Section 24 of the New York State Executive Law authorizes political subdivisions to take all necessary action and issue any necessary orders to protect human life; and
WHEREAS, October 25, 2024, the Town Supervisor of the Town of Rochester issued a Declaration of Local State of Emergency regarding the severe drought conditions; and
NOW, THEREFORE, it is ORDERED that outdoor burning is prohibited in all the Town of Rochester as follows:
1. Actions prohibited:
a. A person violates this order if he/she burns any combustible material in an outdoor area.
A person violates this order if he/she engages in any outdoor activity which could allow flames or sparks that could result in a fire.
2. Enforcement:
a. Upon notification of suspected outdoor burning the local volunteer fire companies shall respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain and/or extinguish the fire.
b. As soon as possible, law enforcement agencies shall respond to the scene to investigate the nature of the fire. The law enforcement officers shall request immediate compliance with this order.
3. This order does not apply to the following outdoor burning activities:
c. Firefighting training
d. Burn operations approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
All outdoor burning of yard trash, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, chimneys, and cooking fires within said jurisdictions is prohibited unless:
1) authorized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; 2) for cooking of food exclusively within a contained gas or charcoal grill.
The setting of fires to any grass, brush or forest covered land, unless authorized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, shall constitute a violation of the law.
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, that the purpose of this order is the mitigation of public safety hazard posed by wildfires during the current dry weather conditions and the limited first responders and human resources to combat potential fires by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning, accordingly, this order shall expire when the conditions are again deemed safe, upon such date as determined by the Town of Rochester Supervisor in conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Done and Ordered this 25th day of October 2024
______________________________
Erin Enouen, Town Supervisor