Governor Hochul Announces More Than 400,000 People Have Completed New York State’s Citizen Preparedness Training Program

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that more than 400,000 New Yorkers have completed the State's Citizen Preparedness Corps (CPC) training program which is provided by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the New York National Guard and the American Red Cross. The announcement was made as part of National Preparedness Month which is held every September. This year's Preparedness Month theme is "Start a Conversation" which was developed to encourage residents to talk about steps to take to protect themselves and their families. Governor Hochul encouraged New Yorkers to learn more about what they can do before an emergency to stay safe and help others.

"Public safety is my number one priority, and with extreme weather events happening more frequently than ever, it's important for New Yorkers to have a plan for what to do if an emergency occurs," Governor Hochul said. "I encourage families to sit down and discuss best practices for responding to emergencies, and I promise that we will make every State resource available when it comes to responding and recovering from crises."

CPC trainings are free and held in-person throughout the state. New Yorkers can find a local training and enroll online at https://www.dhses.ny.gov/citizen-preparedness-training-calendar. 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, English, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Yiddish.

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.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "This month, I encourage New Yorkers to take some time to make an emergency plan that takes the needs of all your family members into account including children, older adults, those with special needs, and your pets. When disaster strikes, having a plan can help ensure the safety of your loved ones."

Adjutant General of the New York National Guard Major General Ray Shields said, "The men and women of the New York National Guard are proud of the part they have played in educating our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers in how to prepare for emergencies. These trainings help people prepare to cope with emergencies that can occur at any time. Since 2014 we have instructed hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers on how to be more resilient and prepared for emergencies"

American Red Cross in Eastern New York CEO Kevin Coffey said, "Disasters can happen at any time, often without warning, changing lives forever in just minutes. Whether it's a fire in someone's home or a storm that destroys an entire town, the best defense during an emergency is to be prepared, and that's true for both our individual families and our entire community. During National Preparedness Month, it's the ideal time to get your household ready by making a plan to stay safe, gathering important supplies and knowing how you'll stay connected. You can also help your community be better prepared for disasters by giving blood, taking a class or putting on a red vest to become a volunteer."

National Preparedness Month serves as a yearly reminder that preparing for emergencies and disasters can help keep people and their communities safe. This year's "Start a Conversation" theme embraces the idea that taking time to prepare when no threats are imminent, makes it easier to build a plan at your own pace. When deciding on a time to have a conversation about emergency preparedness it's important to think about:

• Choosing a time when everyone is calm and relaxed.
• Holding the discussion over a set time period so decisions are not rushed, and people feel more comfortable discussing the topic.
• Talking about steps you've taken to prepare and encourage others to ask questions about preparedness actions that might work for them.

Some items to consider when talking about preparedness:

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.
• Emergency alerts can save lives. Sign up for local and state alerts including NY-Alert to receive up-to-date emergency information.

For more information on what you can do to prepare for an emergency, go to https://www.dhses.ny.gov/safety-and-prevention.

About the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. For more information, follow @NYSDHSES on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) or visit dhses.ny.gov.

Contact the Governor's Press Office