Thursday, October 1, 2026
Troops from the New York National Guard will join officials from the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services at Valley Stream Central High School on Aug. 11 to present a free class on disaster preparedness.
The two-hour class, which is part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s ongoing Citizen Preparedness Corps training program, will begin at 11 a.m. The program is designed to help residents respond to emergencies and disasters “quickly and appropriately,” and “to recover as quickly as possible to predisaster conditions,” according to a National Guard news release.
Each participant family will also receive a free emergency preparedness kit. The kits contain pocket radios, batteries, face masks, food bars, blankets and other key items.
The program was inaugurated in February 2014. Guard troops have taught nearly 2,900 courses reaching nearly 150,000 participants. An additional 180,000 online participants have received instruction from the New York Red Cross.
As designed by DHSES, the course covers a range of emergency preparedness subjects from developing family plans to stocking up on emergency supplies to dealing with man-made emergencies, such as active shooter scenarios or other kinds of violence. The Citizen Preparedness Corps has “equipped tens of thousands of New Yorkers to respond better to emergencies and disasters,” according to the Guard’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Anthony German.
Equipping the citizenry for emergency preparedness is “part and parcel of the Guard’s mission,” German said. “Our soldiers and airmen are proud to be part of Gov. Cuomo’s effort to help their fellow citizens prepare to cope with disasters and emergencies,” he said in a release. “The men and women of the New York Army and Air National Guard, who have responded to help their fellow New Yorkers during floods, hurricanes and snow storms, know first-hand the value of being prepared for emergencies,” he added.
To register for the class, go to http://www.nyprepare.gov/aware-repare/nysprepare/. For more information, visit www.nyprepare.gov.
