Emergency Preparedness: Prepare, Respond, Recover

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lightbulb_300x300The Ready New York campaign encourages New Yorkers to be ready for all types of emergencies. Develop a disaster plan and decide where you and your family will meet in the event of an emergency. Gather emergency supplies – some to keep in your home and others to keep in backpacks in case you must leave your home in a hurry. Finally, learn how to keep informed about the hazards you may face in New York City.

The Ready New York guides below offer tips and information designed to help New Yorkers prepare for all types of emergencies. Select the guides that are right for you and share them with your friends, family, and neighbors. The information in these guides is also available in audio format.

Call 311 for tips on how to plan for an emergency, get involved, or get emergency situation updates.

POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS

MAKE A PLAN

  • Decide where your household will reunite after a disaster. Identify two places to meet: one right outside your home and another outside your neighborhood, such as a library, community center, or place of worship.
  • Identify all possible exit routes from your home and neighborhood.
  • Designate an out-of-state friend or relative that household members can call if separated during a disaster. If New York City phone circuits are busy, long-distance calls may be easier to make. This out-of-state contact can help you and your family communicate. Keep in mind that cell phones may not function during and immediately following a disaster due to high volume of activity; however, text messages can often get through, even if you can’t make calls on your cell phone. What’s more, if cell phones aren’t functional, using a landline or a payphone (to call your out-of-state contact) is a good alternative.
  • Account for everybody’s needs, especially seniors, people with disabilities, and non-English speakers.
  • Ensure that household members have a copy of your household disaster plan and emergency contact information to keep in their wallets and backpacks.
  • Practice your plan with all household members.

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