Bethpage, NY - February 18, 2014 -  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program will take place on Saturday, February 22 in Nassau County. The program, highlighted in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address last month and launched this month, aims to provide approximately 100,000 New Yorkers with the tools and resources to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.

“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,” said Governor Cuomo. “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.”

Saturday, February 22, 2014 – Nassau County
Saturday, February 22 at 10:00AM
Bethpage High School
10 Cherry Avenue
Bethpage, New York

Space is limited, so participants are required to register in advance. Pre-registration for the training session is available at: www.prepare.ny.gov. The Governor also encourages New Yorkers to visit the site - a digital home for the Citizen Preparedness Corps community that offers information about additional trainings, disaster preparedness tips, and ways to volunteer your skills in the event of a disaster.

Training sessions will be led by the New York National Guard, working with experts from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management and Office of Fire Prevention and Control. All training sessions will be coordinated with local county emergency management personnel.

Major General Patrick A. Murphy, the Adjutant General NYS Division of Military and Naval Affairs said, “The men and women of the New York Army and Air National Guard understand the value of being prepared for any emergency, since our service members are always there to assist when disaster strikes. Our Soldiers and Airmen are proud to be part of the Governor's effort to better prepare New Yorkers to handle floods, hurricanes, tornados, snowstorms or whatever nature can throw at us. We look forward to engaging our fellow New Yorkers in this important emergency preparedness training.”

Jerome M. Hauer, Commissioner, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services said, “I applaud Governor Cuomo for taking an assertive and proactive approach on training citizens for any type of disaster. In times of emergency or extreme difficulty caused by a disaster, it is often citizens in their homes or on their residential blocks who are immediately faced with the need to respond. This training effort will better prepare them for the types of response activities they should engage in to safeguard themselves and their families and possibly their neighbors.”

The training course will provide an introduction to responding to a natural or man-made disaster. Participants will be advised on how to properly prepare for any disaster, including developing a family emergency plan and stocking up on emergency supplies. Proper preparation in the home will be emphasized with encouragement to ensure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, along with fire extinguishers, are all available and in proper working order. Trainers will supply information on what organizations can provide additional support; how to register for NY-Alert, the free statewide emergency alert system; and how to be aware of notifications from such sources as the Emergency Broadcast System. Participants will also be encouraged to get more involved in existing community-based emergency activities that may be organized through local schools, businesses or community-based organizations.

A key component of this training effort is the distribution of Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Kits that contain key items to assist individuals in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. As an individual, a family member, and member of their community, it is essential that citizens take a few basic steps to be prepared; their quality of life and their loved ones may depend on it. Often during an emergency, electricity, heat, air conditioning or telephone service may not work. Citizens should be prepared to make it on their own for at least 7-10 days, maybe longer. Click here for a photo of the kit.

Every training participant (one per family) will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit, which includes:

• Plastic drop cloth
• Light stick
• (2) D Batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Face mask
• Safety goggles
• AM/FM pocket radio w/batteries
• (6) packs of drinking water
• (6) food bars
• Regular flashlight
• Emergency blanket
• Duct tape
• Work gloves
• Water bottle

As part of the training, participants will receive information about the other supplies and personal information that they should add to their personal Response Kit.