New York State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. and Assemblyman David G. McDonough recently hosted a public hearing entitled "How Prepared Is Long Island for a Terrorist Attack," with Senator Michael A.L. Balboni (7th Senate District), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. The hearing took place on June 3 at Farmingdale State University's Roosevelt Hall.

According to Senator Fuschillo, the hearing dealt with specific issues affecting Nassau and Suffolk counties in relation to local emergency readiness in the event of a terrorist attack.

"This hearing is vital to ensuring that the proper emergency response methods are in place in case of an act of terrorism on Long Island," Fuschillo said. "Since September 11 we have learned that the best course of action is to be prepared for anything and this hearing will help us understand our strengths and highlight the areas that need more attention in the event of such a tragedy."

Experts who submitted testimony included officials from the Brookhaven National Laboratory; Nassau County's Office of Emergency Management; Hofstra University; Suffolk County's Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services; Nassau County Fire Commission, and North Shore/Long Island Jewish Medical Center.