Program On Coastal Hazard Mitigation Set For Next Week In Montauk

A nationally renowned program to help communities plan for and mitigate coastal hazards is coming to Montauk on April 12.

The Concerned Citizens of Montauk and the Montauk Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the Coastal Community Resilience Training Course. Gurney's Inn donated the conference center for the space. More than 20 local, state, and federal agencies and organizations are slated to attend.

Conducted by the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the course is designed to help communities in Suffolk County understand and reduce the risks from coastal hazards, speed up recovery after a major event and adapt to the ever changing environment.

"The goal is to increase awareness of meaningful actions that can be taken to enhance community resilience to natural hazards and incorporate them into professional practices," according to a statement from CCOM.

“When the Montauk Chamber of Commerce was approached by CCOM to partner with them along with Gurney's Inn in sponsoring this training, it was a no brainer for us," Laraine Creegan, executive director of the chamber, said. "This specific training can only enhance the ability of our local officials and ultimately benefit the entire community."

“Planning and training minimize impacts to both built and natural resources,” Jeremy Samuelson, CCOM's executive director, said.

“Gurney's Inn is proud to support this vital and timely FEMA training seminar for Montauk. I am a firmbeliever in the 5P principle: proper planning prevents poor performance,” Paul Monte, the general manager and CEO of Gurney's Inn, said. Monte is also the president of the chamber. “In times of emergency and natural disaster, Montauk cannot afford to perform poorly. Our residents deserve the best training and planning available and that is why this seminar is so important to our entire community," he added.

There is limited seating available for members of the public. To learn more about this course you may visit the website and click on the link “April 12th Coastal Community Resilience.” To register contact Samuelson at 631-238-5720 or Creegan at 668-2355.