On Monday, September 30, Deputy Director of Emergency Services Michael Madison was deployed to the City of Asheville, North Carolina, as part of the New York State Incident Management Team (IMT) to provide operational support for recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. 

The 30-member team was deployed by New York State through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, and is providing command and control infrastructure to the city in order to manage the operational, logistical, informational, planning, fiscal, and safety issues associated with complex incidents. 

Madison is serving as Situation Unit Leader, with responsibilities for collecting, processing, and organizing all the incident information. Madison said he has seen a lot of household debris, trees, and wires down within the city and the remnants of flooding. He is expected to be working with IMT in Asheville for 14 days. 

“I want to thank Deputy Director Madison, and all the first responders from across New York State who are on the ground helping communities in North Carolina that have been devastated by Hurricane Helene,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “My heart goes out to all the communities suffering from this tragedy, and I am glad we are in a position to field support to North Carolina’s emergency responders to help coordinate relief and recovery.” 

"We are proud to have Michael Madison represent our department and our state in this critical mission,” said Director of Emergency Services Everett Erichsen. “His expertise will be invaluable in coordinating the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Mike's deployment showcases our commitment to supporting other communities in times of crisis, just as we would hope for assistance in our own time of need."

Madison was last deployed as a member of the IMT in July of 2024, when a tornado touched down in Rome, New York, causing significant destruction. In response to this natural disaster, Oneida County requested assistance from the IMT. Madison was specifically requested by the Team Leader to deploy as the Situation Unit Leader for this incident. In this role, Madison was responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information about the ongoing situation and recovery efforts. The IMT’s deployment to Rome helped coordinate local and state resources to assist with damage assessment, recovery planning and community support in the aftermath of the tornado.

The IMT is a multi-agency team that can be deployed to manage incidents of any size or complexity, providing assistance while the requesting jurisdiction retains control. Available through the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the IMT consists of trained personnel from various disciplines to handle major incidents requiring extensive resources.