In the past few weeks, an earthquake and a hurricane—two rare occurrences for New York—hit the city. The two events served as a perfect precursor for September’s National Preparedness Month, an effort designed to keep residents safe and ready for the unexpected.
“It’s not every week New York City sees an earthquake and a hurricane, but our recent experiences with both serve as great reminders of why it is so important to prepare for emergencies,” said city Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph Bruno.
This month, OEM is recognizing businesses and other organizations that prepare their employees or volunteers for natural disasters and emergencies by completing “preparedness activities.” These activities include encouraging co-workers and volunteers to register for Notify NYC, the city’s free, real-time emergency notification system; distributing and testing an emergency contact plan; hosting a preparedness display; conducting a fire drill; and scheduling a blood drive or CPR training.
To date, more than 150 organizations representing over 500,000 employees have already been named as “Partners in Preparedness.” OEM will recognize these groups on its website and social media platforms. Participating businesses will also receive an official seal to display on their website or printed materials.
“If anything, the earthquake and hurricane that struck the east coast this past week are important reminders that disasters can happen anytime, anywhere,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate. “By doing what we can to ensure that our communities, and our nation, are prepared to respond and recover from all types of disasters and hazards, we honor the memory of those who were lost 10 years ago [in the 9/11 terrorist attacks] and during more recent disasters.”
Bruno and Fugate unveiled the start of National Preparedness Month in a press conference in Times Square last Thursday with Peggy Conlon, president and chief executive of the Ad Council, which donated more than $11 million in public service announcements (PSAs) to OEM’s Ready New York message.
“This localized effort is a critical part of our emergency preparedness efforts, and I am confident that these PSAs will resonate with New Yorkers and encourage them to take precautionary steps,” Conlon said.
The PSAs focus on three important keys: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan and be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses.
Ad agency Cramer-Krasselt designed the ads pro bono with a theme of family.
“We wanted to capture what it feels like to experience an emergency situation in order to motivate people and shake them out of complacency—without having to resort to heavy-handed deception or scare tactics,” said Anne Bologna, general manager of Cramer-Krasselt. “Instead, we wanted to focus on the same thing each person would focus on in an emergency: family.”
For more information on Ready New York or National Preparedness Month visit OEM’s website at nyc.gov/oem.
