New York State Begins Citizen Preparedness Corps Training
The program set for Feb. 22 in Nassau County is the start of an effort to equip about 100,000 state residents this year for emergencies and disasters.
Moving forward on an initiative he announced in last month's state of the state address, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program will take place Feb. 22 in Bethpage, N.Y. The program is intended to give about 100,000 New Yorkers tools and resources this year so they’ll be ready during an emergency or disasters and can recover as quickly as possible.
"Over the past three years, we have experienced several significant natural disasters, and we need to make sure our communities and citizens are safe, prepared, and trained to respond to these often cataclysmic events," Cuomo said. "The Citizen Preparedness Corps Training program will ensure that citizens across the state are ready to provide critical assistance in their own homes and to their own neighbors whenever disaster strikes. Beginning with approximately 100,000 citizens trained this year, we intend to make this program a centerpiece of the state’s coordinated response to future severe storms and natural disasters."
Participants must register for the training at www.prepare.ny.gov, a site Cuomo encouraged state residents to visit because it offers information about additional training, disaster preparedness tips, and ways to volunteer during a disaster. The training sessions will be provided by the New York National Guard and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Office of Emergency Management and Office of Fire Prevention and Control, with al training sessions coordinated with local county emergency management personnel.
Participants who attend the training will receive a Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Kit (one per family) that includes:
- Plastic drop cloth
- Light stick
- Two D batteries
- First aid kit
- Face mask
- Safety goggles
- AM/FM pocket radio with batteries
- Six packs of drinking water
- Six food bars
- Regular flashlight
- Emergency blanket
- Duct tape
- Work gloves
- Water bottle