State Senator Michael Balboni said he has been appointed to a newly created task force whose mission is to determine if communities across New York State are prepared to mount effective responses to unexpected disasters, such as the terrorist attack on New York City and the outbreak of bio-terrorism involving anthrax.

The Senate Majority Task Force on State and Local Emergency Preparedness will apply lessons learned from the widely acclaimed state and New York City response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack to help communities prevent, prepare and respond to natural and man-made events.

"The rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero has proven how effective a coordinated and comprehensive plan can be in helping recover from a catastrophe," Balboni said. "These lessons, applied to communities across the state, will prove invaluable in helping to assure the public that their government is well-equipped to meet the challenges of any unexpected event."

The effort is part of a coordinated state response to the public's demand for increased preparedness. It includes the creation last week by Governor George Pataki of a new Office of Public Security, to be headed by former FBI Assistant Director James K. Kallstrom and enactment of tough new anti-terrorism laws, including passage of a measure to deal with the new threat of bio-terrorism.

Senator Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said, "The terrorist attack on America and new threats involving biological weapons, make clear the need for a coordinated and comprehensive strategy on every level and every branch of government to prevent, prepare and respond to any unforeseen disaster so that we can protect the public's safety and preserve our way of life."

Balboni said the special Task Force, which expects to hold hearings and gather testimony from security, rescue and recovery experts, will work closely with Kallstrom and other authorities. Since the attacks, New York State has enacted some of the toughest anti-terrorism laws in the nation, one of which was sponsored by Balboni. The senator authored New York's Anti Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, a bill aimed at protecting the public against acts of biological and chemical terrorism.

Specifically, the Senate Majority Task Force will:

-hold hearings to gather expert and witness testimony concerning state and local government response to the World Trade Center disaster;

-study readiness of local governments across the state to respond to a range of disasters, both man-made and natural;

-gauge the state's readiness to deal with biological threats, like the use of anthrax; and

-evaluate state disaster preparedness protocols and review compliance by local governments.