OEM Press Release: OEM Launches Ready NY for Seniors & People with Disabilities and Small Businesses

NYC OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT LAUNCHES
READY NEW YORK GUIDES FOR SENIORS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES

New preparedness publications address New Yorkers' diverse needs

Tuesday, May 3, 2005 — As part of its continuing effort to help all New Yorkers better prepare for emergencies, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) today introduced Ready New York for Seniors & People with Disabilities and Ready New York: Emergency Planning Guide for Small & Mid-Sized Companies.

OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno formally unveiled the new Ready New York guides at Raices Astoria Senior Center in Queens, where he was joined by City partners including Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago of the Department for the Aging, Executive Director Matthew Sapolin of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Assistant Commissioner Michael Hecht of the Department of Small Business Services, and Assistant Commissioner Frank Welch of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Part of OEM's Ready New York preparedness campaign, the guides target two groups of New Yorkers with specific emergency planning concerns.

"Preparedness is not one size fits all. While everyone should have a plan, a kit, and a Go Bag, everyone's needs are different," Commissioner Bruno said. "These two new guides offer helpful advice for how seniors and people with disabilities and small businesses can better prepare for emergencies."

"The Ready New York brochure offers older and disabled New Yorkers valuable information to help them prepare for almost any emergency. Being prepared in times of emergency reduces stress, increases options, and is empowering to seniors and their families. Everyone should plan ahead and develop a disaster plan that must include packing a Go Bag." Commissioner Méndez-Santiago said.

"With input from the community, this guide was created to serve as a tool for people with special needs to prepare for an emergency. It will help our most vulnerable citizens consider and compile the supplies, lists of critical contacts, strategies, and network of supports that we all need during an emergency," said Executive Director Sapolin.

"Ready New York: Emergency Planning for Small & Mid-Sized Companies will play an important role in helping us continue to successfully plan for crisis situations," said Oren Levy, senior vice president of Manhattan-based software developer Oddcast. "This new guide is a valuable resource for small- and medium-sized businesses in New York."

Ready New York for Seniors & People with Disabilities, which was produced in partnership with the Department for the Aging and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, addresses the added challenges emergencies can present for seniors and people with disabilities living in New York City. The guide provides detailed instructions on developing a disaster plan, assembling an Emergency Supply Kit, and putting together a Go Bag, as well as guidance on creating a support network, preparing for evacuation, and sheltering in place. Readers may also complete a tear-out emergency health information card for handy reference.

Produced in partnership with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Ready New York: Emergency Planning for Small & Mid-Sized Companies is designed to help businesses protect their employees, communities, and the environment and enhance a company's ability to recover from financial loss resulting from business interruption or damage to facilities and inventory. While many large companies have in-house emergency planners and business continuity professionals, there are 200,000 small businesses in New York City, accounting for nearly 98 percent of all businesses in the five boroughs. Following steps outlined in the guide, small- and mid-sized business owners can learn more about assessing hazards, developing a written plan, conducting training and drills, testing equipment, backing up records, and coordinating activities with neighboring businesses and emergency service providers.

Copies of Ready New York for Seniors & People with Disabilities will be available in every City-run senior center, through 311, and online at NYC.gov/oem. Copies of Ready New York: Emergency Planning for Small & Mid-Sized Companies will be available at every SBS Business Solutions Center and the City's Chambers of Commerce, as well as through 311 and online at NYC.gov/oem.

Funding to print both Ready New York guides was made possible through a grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Launched in July 2003, OEM's Ready New York preparedness campaign is designed to help New Yorkers better prepare for all types of emergencies. "Ready New York: A Household Preparedness Guide," the campaign's centerpiece, was created in collaboration with more than 20 government, private, and nonprofit entities. The campaign also includes several hazard-specific brochures, public service announcements for radio and television, a speakers' bureau, print and outdoor advertising, corporate partnerships, and community programs including Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and All Together Now.