Getting Prepared

Emergency preparedness training participants
Emergency preparedness course participants with their certificates of completion.

One of the goals of NYCHA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is to help residents stay resilient and safe when faced with emergencies or disasters. OEM partnered with the New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps, which offers courses led by National Guard troops on how to prepare for emergencies.

On June 19, seniors at the Astoria Houses senior center learned how to create “go bags” containing the items needed during an evacuation and how to develop a family reunification plan for locating loved ones during an emergency.

OEM also provided information on evacuations, the flood-protection measures being installed at some developments, and how to get additional guidance on emergency preparedness.

At the end of the session, attendees received a certificate of completion and pocket emergency guide, among other resources. And OEM raffled a “go bag” that helped bolster one participant’s emergency preparedness.

Winner of a go bag
NYCHA OEM Director J Stakenburg with the winner of a “go bag.”