As we witnessed during Tropical Storm Isaias, when it comes to power outages few groups of residents are as vulnerable as our senior citizens.
That is why I filed a bill that requires any new development for residents 55 and over in Nassau County to have a standby generator capable of powering the individual units in that community for at least four days.
Despite PSEG’s promise to make seniors a priority, it often takes a few days – or as long as a full week – for power to come back on.
And this gap between when the power goes out and when the utility restores power is crucial.
This gap is when the medical devices our seniors rely on may stop working. This gap is when critical, perishable medication for our seniors may spoil. This gap is when communication may become impossible for seniors lacking anything but a landline. And extreme weather in the summer and winter months poses a serious threat to their health.
Whether it’s Woodbury Gardens or other senior complexes in our district, when senior communities lose power for extended periods of time, it imperils the health and welfare of these older residents.
And as we have seen – from storm, after storm, after storm – there doesn’t seem to be a sense of urgency from these complex owners to install generators.
And that’s why we need to pass this law.
So that if the power goes out, we can bridge this gap between the time power is lost, until the priority response is administered from PSEG.
I am hopeful that my colleagues from both sides of the aisle will join me in voting to pass this bill, and protect our seniors for decades to come.
As always, should you ever need anything please do not hesitate to reach out either at JLafazan@NassauCountyNY.gov or at 516-571-6218.
It is an honor to serve you each and every day.
