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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 392-07
October 30, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND COMMISSIONER BRUNO LAUNCH LATEST VERSION OF CITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN - READY NEW YORK FOR KIDS

New Preparedness Guide Available in Nine Languages; Will be Disseminated to 1.1 Million Public School Students

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno and Department of Education (DOE) Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm today launched Ready New York for Kids, the latest addition to OEM's preparedness campaign. As part of the City's ongoing effort to encourage all New Yorkers to prepare for emergencies, OEM and DOE have created two Ready New York for Kids guides. One guide is designed for elementary school children, the other targets students in middle and high schools. Throughout the month of November, Ready New York for Kids will be distributed to all 1.1 million New York City public school students. Public school teachers will be provided with ideas for preparedness-related lessons and classroom discussions. Ready New York for Kids is available in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Haitian-Creole, Urdu, Arabic and Bengali. At the event, held at Brooklyn's PS 29, the Mayor, Commissioner Bruno and Deputy Chancellor Grimm were joined by Haleh Nazeri, Executive Director of the New York Division of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and Danielle Healy, Associate Director of AIG; which is sponsoring the development and printing of the guides. The guides will also be available on www.nyc.gov or by calling 311.

"Our Administration has been doing everything possible over the past six years to be as prepared as possible for emergencies," said Mayor Bloomberg. "With Ready New York for Kids, we've created two fun-filled, interactive versions of the guide - so both younger and older students can make sure that no matter what kind of emergency strikes the City, they will be as prepared as possible."

"One in seven New Yorkers is a public school student, so Ready New York for Kids offers a great opportunity to further the message of emergency preparedness," said OEM Commissioner Bruno. "I encourage all parents to discuss the guide with their children."

"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 the curriculum to help students in school and at home."

Funding for "Ready New York for Kids" was made possible through a generous donation from AIG. AIG's funding allowed for the development of the child-focused curriculum, as well as printing and distribution of 1.3 million guides.

"AIG is proud to support the City's Ready New York for Kids initiative," said AIG CEO Martin J. Sullivan. "As we manage risk around the world everyday, we understand how important it is for people to be prepared for emergencies. We are encouraged to see a City like New York provide its youth with tools to help them better prepare. Today, along with Mayor Bloomberg, the Department of Education, and the New York City Office of Emergency Management, we encourage New Yorkers of all ages to learn more about what they can do to stay safe."

OEM's Ready New York campaign was created in 2003 to inform New Yorkers about the hazards they may face in an emergency and encourage residents to prepare for all types of emergencies. Ready New York takes an all-hazards approach to preparing, based on three guiding principles: knowing the hazards in New York City, making a disaster plan, and stocking emergency supplies. Ready New York's resources now include nine multilingual publications, numerous public service announcements, multimedia advertising campaigns, extensive web content, a speakers' bureau, a reprinting program, corporate partnerships, and continuous community outreach.

For more information about emergency preparedness and the Ready New York campaign, call 311 or visit NYC.gov.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Jason Post   (212) 788-2958

Andrew Troisi   (Emergency Management)
(718) 422-4888

David Cantor   (Department of Education)
(212) 374-5141




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