About 40 emergency managers and public safety officials from the Dominican Republic spent the week of September 21 to 25, 2026, at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany, New York, working through rescue drills on a rope course, a rubble pile and a swift-water flood simulator.
The five-day Emergency Management and Infrastructure Protection summit grew out of an agreement Governor Kathy Hochul and Dominican President Luis Abinader signed in November 2025, during her visit to the Dominican Republic. That declaration of intent commits both governments to share expertise, resources and technology for protecting residents from extreme weather. On September 24, during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Hochul met Abinader and Congressmember Adriano Espaillat to push the relationship forward, the governor’s office said.
“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,” 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.”
Abinader gave his own reason for backing it. “Saving and protecting the lives of Dominicans is a top priority for our government,” he said.
What the delegation trained on
The state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the New York State Bridge Authority wrote the curriculum together. Staff from both agencies taught it, along with people from the state Department of State and the University at Albany.
Search and rescue work covered collapsed structures, building inspections and the protocols for checking damage after an earthquake. Drone crews, working through New York’s partnership with NUAIR, showed how unmanned aircraft can help in urban and woodland searches, hazardous-materials calls and law enforcement operations.
Communications sessions dealt with the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and New York’s NY-Alert network, and used the response to Hurricane Helene as a case study. Other sessions took in disaster assistance, prevention programs, and how New York writes and enforces building codes.
Responder well-being got its own block. Dr. Amy Nitza of the University at Albany was scheduled to speak on managing operational stress and on AI-based tools for supporting mental health in underserved communities. The Bridge Authority presented its Workplace Trauma Resilience and Employee Assistance Program. The week was set to close on Friday with a discussion-based emergency operations center exercise built around an earthquake. The announcement described it as planned and did not report how it went.
Officials on the exchange
DHSES Commissioner Terry O’Leary said the state wanted to trade practical knowledge in “preparedness, search and rescue, emergency communications and recovery.” Bridge Authority Executive Director Dr. Minosca Alcantara called the visit “a meaningful opportunity to build on that commitment.” Dominican Consul General in New York Jesús Vásquez Martínez said the effort reflected “a relationship built over years.”
FingerLakes1.com reported that Hochul, speaking at the meeting, also raised tariffs and energy costs with her guests. She criticized federal immigration enforcement as well, saying she wanted New York’s Dominican community to feel protected. Those were her own assessments, and the transcript offered no enforcement data.
Economic ties moved on a separate track. In June 2026, Empire State Development completed a trade mission to the Dominican Republic with New York companies from apparel, beauty, health care, defense, and food and beverage.
Sources
- 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 Kathy Ho
- Dominican emergency responders train in Oriskany under New York partnership
