On September 6, 2007, OEM and the NYC Citizen Corps Council took to the
streets of New York City to kick off National Preparedness Month and engage
fellow New Yorkers in preparing for emergencies. Starting at 6 a.m., volunteers
canvassed seven pedestrian and commuter hubs throughout the five boroughs and
handed out over 100,000 Ready New York guides. The American Red Cross in Greater
New York also offered passersby the chance to win a Go Bag – a portable
collection of items a person might need in the event of an evacuation – by
filling out a readiness quiz.
Volunteers donned bright orange shirts with a National Preparedness Month
message to get prepared and get involved, and they were onsite to provide
literature, promotional items, and emergency readiness answers to curious
commuters. Citizen Corps Council volunteers, along with OEM staffers, handed out
several guides from the Ready New York
suite. Power 105.1 also helped spread the word in Foley Square, with radio
personality déjà vu sharing preparedness tips, Power 105 Go Bags, and popular
music with community members.
This year marks the fourth year the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has
sponsored National Preparedness Month, the goal of which is to encourage
Americans prepare themselves for all types of emergencies. OEM leads New York
City’s September efforts, and this year OEM received support from AIG to reach
New Yorkers with new Ready New York literature and giveaways.
Throughout September, OEM continues its celebration of National Preparedness
Month through TV, radio, and print advertisements, community events and
presentations, the release of a 2007 New York City preparedness poll, and the
launch of Ready New York for Kids – a guide to prepare children and their
families for emergencies.
