Resident Watch to Merge With City’s Emergency Response Team
NYCHA has teamed up with the Office of Emergency Management to merge the existing Resident Watch Program with the City’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), creating a more responsive community-based watch effort that will be an asset not just to NYCHA developments but also to surrounding communities. CERT trains volunteers for different types of disasters, including hurricanes, large snowstorms, fires, and more. Participating NYCHA residents will join their development’s Resident Watch patrol and complete the 10-week CERT training program to learn how to be prepared and assist in emergencies.
The Resident Watch Response Team (RWRT) will be launched at the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP) developments: Boulevard, Brownsville, Bushwick, Ingersoll, Tompkins, Red Hook, Van Dyke, Queensbridge, Stapleton, St. Nicholas, Polo Grounds, Wagner, Butler, Castle Hill, and Patterson Houses.
RWRT is now recruiting members, ages 18 and older, for the fall. If you live in one of the MAP developments and want to help keep your community safe, contact your management office to apply for the RWRT at your development. Visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/community_business/nyc-cert.page to learn more about the NYC Cert program.
