The Citizen Preparedness Corps gives residents the tools and resources to prepare for any disaster or emergency, respond accordingly, and recover quickly to pre-disaster conditions.

Citizen Preparedness Corps training began in February 2014. Trainings are led by the New York National Guard, working with experts from the Division’s Office of Emergency Management and Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Training sessions are coordinated with local county emergency management personnel at various venues such as armories, community centers, and other locations statewide, including the New York State Fair.

The course provides an introduction to responding to a natural or human-caused disaster. Participants are advised on properly developing family emergency plans and stocking up on emergency supplies.

A key component of the training is distributing free NYS Disaster Preparedness Kits to participants (one per family) containing examples of key items to assist individuals in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The state training and kits will help New Yorkers to be the most-trained and best-prepared citizens in the country.