View photos from the event 

Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno and Department of Education (DOE) Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm teamed up on December 5 to kick off Ready New York for Kids, at OEM’s headquarters in Brooklyn.

The Ready New York program was started in 2003 to educate residents and businesses of the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Since its inception, more than six million preparedness guides have been distributed to millions of New Yorkers through various presentations, community workshops, and through the City’s 311 information hotline.

“In 2007, in partnership with the Department of Education, we developed two interactive Ready New York for Kids guides for students – one for elementary school kids and the other for middle and high school students,” said Commissioner Bruno. “It is extremely important that we drive home the message to our children of being prepared when an emergency happens.”
 
The Ready New York for Kids curriculum was created in 2008 and will be used for a pilot program in Brooklyn’s District 13. Children will learn how to make a plan, prepare a stay-at-home kit, and pack a go bag, through fun-filled workshops and group activities.

"Under Children First, we are committed to providing a well-rounded education," said Deputy Chancellor Grimm. "To supplement classroom work, we are incorporating the Ready New York for Kids guides and curriculum to help students in school and at home."

The pilot will take place in the 46 schools within Brooklyn’s District 13.  It will run from January 2009 through April 2009 with help from the Department of Education’s Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy, District 13 administrators and parent coordinators.