Being Prepared

Preparing yourself and your family for an emergency is the best way you can help your community when disaster strikes. Resources during that time are stretched to the limits and the more you can take care of yourself and those around you, the better chance you will have of keeping a bad situation from turning worse.

• Have an emergency response kit at home that will help sustain your family for 72 hours. You can find out what to have in this kit by going to the Preparedness links to the right or have information sent to you by calling 311.
• Take a First Aid / CPR Class, have functional Fire Extinguishers, Smoke Detectors and Weather Radios in your home.
• Have a bag in your vehicle with emergency clothing, first aid kit, flashlight, AM/FM Weather Radio (they are backed up by batteries), water, and non-perishable food.
• Have a bag at your work place with the same, if your employer doesn't have provisions.
• Have a Family Plan to ensure you communicate your safety status. Try to plan this to minimize using phone and cell phones. Email and calls to out of state relatives often work the best.
• Join or start a Neighborhood Watch Program through the Police Department. These programs now also address emergency preparedness and Homeland Security issues.
• Take Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training hosted by the New York City Office of Emergency Management. Be prepared to help your neighborhood or work place in the event of an emergency. Call 311 for more information.