NEW YORK (WWTI) —  An Interagency Emergency Management Team from New York State left for Kentucky on December 18 to help those affected by the deadly storms last weekend.

According to Governor Kathy Hochul’s website, the effort comes as a response to a request from the commonwealth of Kentucky. The team left on December 18 for a two-week operational period and will return on January 2.

The purpose of the State Incident Management Team is to assist emergency managers in ensuring a prompt, efficient, and organized response to complex, multi-operational disasters. This specific team has been deployed to support three of the state’s county emergency operations centers in Graves, Hopkins, and Marshall Counties.

While at the centers, the IMT will be tasked with assisting state and local officials with initial recovery planning, operational coordination, obtaining situational information and reporting, incident action planning, GIS mapping, and logistical support for ongoing response operations.

DHSES Commissioner Jackie Bray expressed her gratitude for the team members who sacrificed their holidays to help those who needed them.

“The State’s Incident Management Team will represent the best of New York’s emergency personnel in Kentucky and I am thankful for their selflessness and dedication to aiding others, especially during the holiday season when they’ll be away from their families,” Bray said. “My heart goes out to the people of Kentucky and I hope this additional support will help impacted communities recover from this disaster.”

More information on the team and their responsibilities can be found here.