As Westchester County’s network
of Mobile Crisis Response
Teams (MCRT) continues to
build and serve communities
throughout the County, they,
and teams around the state, will
soon have a new tool to help
them arrive at behavioral health
emergencies faster and more
safely. New York State Governor
Kathy Hochul has signed into
law legislation, sponsored by
State Senator Pete Harckham
and initiated in Westchester
County, that will allow Mobile
Crisis Response Teams across
the state to display flashing
green emergency lights in their
vehicles when responding to a
call.
As part of Westchester County
Executive George Latimer’s
“Project Alliance,” Westchester
County deploys MCRTs throughout
the County, connected to
law enforcement and a “Crisis
Network” phone line that serves
to divert people in behavioral
health crisis to the de-escalation
and services they need.
At the outset, planning for
these teams included a stepby-
step analysis of needs and
design, with the ability to arrive
quickly and safely to those in
crisis. The Westchester County
Department of Community Mental
Health (DCMH), in an effort
led by Deputy Commissioner
Joseph Glazer, worked closely
with Harckham and his staff to
draft legislation that would allow
MCRT members to use flashing
green emergency lights on their
vehicles. Unlike flashing red
lights, which require drivers to
yield the right of way to emergency
vehicles displaying them,
flashing green lights request
drivers to yield the right of way
so they can arrive at the scene
more quickly and safely.
Senator Harckham and his
staff drafted the legislation, not
just for Westchester but as a
statewide bill, recognizing a
growing desire to create MCRT
teams across New York State.
The bill (S.5397/A.5604) was
sponsored in the Assembly by
Transportation Committee Chair
William Magnarelli (D-Syracuse).
The lights will be deployed to
teams as defined with certain
service model criteria.
The new law will become
effective 180 days from the day
it was signed by the Governor.
Latimer said: “The goal of
Project Alliance is really to help
first responders across Westchester
to be better prepared,
and able to meet the needs of
the communities we all serve.
This measure, shepherded to
adoption by our own Senator
Harckham, and Assemblyman
Bill Magnarelli, will serve to help
us get to people in crisis faster
and more safely.”
Harckham said: “Allowing
Mental Health Crisis teams
professionals in transit to use
green lights on vehicles will cer tainly save lives. I thank Governor Hochul for
signing this legislation into law and Assemblymember
Magnarelli for his steadfast efforts in
galvanizing support for expanded behavioral
health initiatives like this, which signals to
residents that ‘help is on the way.’ The Green
Light law promises to enhance community
wellness in many ways.”
DCMH Michael Orth said: “Since the
inception of this model, we have worked
to reinforce that our Mobile Crisis Response
Teams serve our community as
true first responders. That means they are
prepared to help when called, and arrive
as quickly as safety allows. By adding
the use of green emergency lights to
the toolkits they have, they will be better
able to meet the needs of the people of
Westchester.”
DCMH Deputy Commissioner Joseph
Glazer said: “I am so appreciative of everyone
who helped bring this idea to fruition.
Senator Harckham and his staff, Assemblyman
Magnarelli and his office, our colleagues
at NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and
the Governor’s office, and our own Westchester
County intergovernmental team who
all worked together to make this the law in
New York State. Across Westchester and
our entire state, access to these emergency
lights will further enhance our ability to create
seamless, efficient systems to address behavioral
health crises.”
