OEM facility improvements notification memo, Nov 1999

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

OEM Fax:212-341-0681 Nov 5 '99' 7=08 P.06

The City of New York Office of the Mayor OmCE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 7 World Trade Center, 23fd Floor New York, NY 10048

November 4, 1999

Mr. Glenn Pymento Assistant Director of Space and Design Department of Citywide Administrative Services 1 Centre Street, 2002 South New York, New York 10007

De^ Mr. Pymento: I This letter is intended to serve as formal notification to you and the agency you represent coAeemiflg necessary improvements to the Press Room located in the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management Following is a list of those items that need to be added or improved and the appropriate justifications:

Press Room Lighting: The originally installed lighting was considered by the Mayor’s Press Office to be inadequate and below the standards necessary for a facility designed to serve as an alternative location for Mayoral press conferences. Therefore, suidio quality lighting was installed on a temporary basis. Because of aesthetic and fire code reasons, it is necessary to hardwire both rows of lights. Further, the bank of lights inifront of the podium is temporarily suspended from the ceiling and must be installed on a permanent basis. To do this, “kendorf ’ must be in place from which the lights will be hi^g.

. Additionally, in order to provide camera operators better lighting, OEM requests inexpensive lights to be installed over the second tier press riser. Further, three small spot lights are to be installed in the Emergency Operations Center, focused on the bank of windows separating the EOC and the Mayor’s Conference Room. These lights are intended to provide an enhanced depth of field behind the Mayor during his press conferences.

Fiber Optic Lines: The original design of the Press Room allowed for multiple fiber optic lines to be run from the room down to the street This permits television stations to run “live” video and audio feed to the microwave trucks, and tlien beam the siraal to their stations. Only three lines were made “live” and there is a necessity for several more lines. 12 lines in total will be installed to permit 12 media outlets to take a live signal from the OEM press room. This is necessary in light of the vital interest New York City government has in keeping its citizens well informed in the face of any emergency. Hurricane Floyd highlighted this issue and the expected media interest in YSK underlines the need for this enhanced system.

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