Governor Kathy Hochul today encouraged New Yorkers to make an emergency plan during National Preparedness Month.  National Preparedness Month is held every September and this year’s theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home,” which focuses on the essentials of preparedness: making a family emergency plan, knowing your risk, building an emergency supply kit, and taking action to prepare for emergencies in your community.  New Yorkers are also encouraged to attend a Citizen Preparedness Corps (CPC) training course during National Preparedness Month.  CPC training is provided by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the New York National Guard.

“Keeping New York safe is my top priority – and that starts with preparedness,” Governor Hochul said.  “Here in New York, we know well the importance of being ready to act when disaster strikes.  That is why I’m encouraging all New Yorkers to remember the essentials of preparedness and shore up their plans for when emergencies and disasters strike.”

CPC trainings are free and held in-person throughout the state.  New Yorkers can find a local training and enroll on the DHSES website.  For those unable to attend in person, courses are also available online in English and with subtitles in 12 additional languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Yiddish.  To date, 437,000 people have completed the program.  The New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps (CPC) was established to train everyday New Yorkers how to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond immediately, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Preparedness is key when it comes to staying safe during emergencies and disasters.  Packing a go bag, making a plan, signing up for real time alerts and knowing your risk are simple steps you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones ready for emergencies.”

Some items to consider when preparing for disasters:

Create a Family Emergency Plan

• Know where to go in an emergency.  Be familiar with evacuation routes from home, work, and areas that you frequently visit.  Your family should have two meet up locations: one near your home and another outside your community.  Ensure everyone in the family knows these locations and can get access to them.
• Make certain your plan accounts for everyone in your household.
• Emergencies pose many risks, especially for older adults, infants, children, and individuals with access or functional needs.  Make sure your plan addresses their needs as you decide how you will evacuate, shelter in place, or communicate with emergency workers.  Arrange help from family, friends, or service providers if you need additional assistance.
• Plan what to do with your pets should you be required to evacuate your residence.  Some shelters, hotels, or motels do not allow pets.
• Practice your plan.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

• Often during an emergency, electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, or telephone service may not work.  You should have basic supplies to survive if an emergency occurs.  Your emergency kit should contain enough food, water, medications, and other consumables to last 10 days.

Stay Connected and Get Involved

• Check on your friends, family, and neighbors and plan the ways your family can stay connected during an emergency.  Make a household emergency contact list and give it to everyone on the list to ensure your family knows how to always contact each other.
• Get real-time emergency and weather alert texts delivered directly to your phone.  Text your county or borough of residence to 333111 to enroll now.  Learn more at dhses.ny.gov/emergency-alerts.
• For more information on what you can do to prepare for an emergency, go to dhses.ny.gov/safety-and-prevention.

About the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination, and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires, and other emergencies.  For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov.