Gov. Malloy Permanently Establishes State Council on Storm Resiliency

Press Release

Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he has signed an executive order making permanent a working group - comprised of state agency heads and experts - that is responsible for strengthening the state's resiliency from extreme weather events, including tropical storms, hurricanes, storm surges, flooding, ice storms, extreme high winds, extreme heat, and slow onset events such as sea level rise.

"We have transformed the way we respond to emergencies over the past several years. We are now more prepared to respond to an extreme weather event than we ever have before. The current working group we have among our state agencies has improved communication and planning while maximizing state resources. By making this group permanent, we can ensure that a formal, structured body exists that to respond quickly and efficiently in the future in order to protect critical infrastructure systems," Governor Malloy said.

Created under Governor Malloy's Executive Order No. 50, the State Agencies Fostering Resilience Council ("SAFR Council") will be responsible for working to create a Statewide Resilience Roadmap based on the best climate impact research and data and assisting the state Office of Policy and Management in the creation of a state policy on disaster resilience.

In 2013, Governor Malloy signed an order directing all state agency commissioners and department heads to comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), a federal emergency management practice that provides a consistent, nationwide framework among governmental and nongovernmental agencies when responding to natural disasters or other emergency situations. The SAFR Council is directed to ensure that their findings coordinate with NIMS informed recovery plans and protocols.

The SAFR Council is comprised of twelve members appointed by the Governor, including:

The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management (Chair)

The Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
The Commissioner of the Department of Housing

The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation

The Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

The Commissioner of the Department of Public Health

The Commissioner of the Department of Insurance

The Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development

The Commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services

The Vice President for Research at the University of Connecticut

The Executive Director of one university-based research institution with the mission of increasing the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways and/or studying and reshaping human settlements through research and design, with the goal of advancing urban sustainability

The Executive Director of one statewide organization responsible for representing at least fifty percent of Connecticut's 169 municipalities

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