Syracuse,
NY – August 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / The New York State Citizen
Preparedness Corps Training, a free disaster preparedness course, will
return to the 2017 Great New York State
Fair, Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner announced Tuesday (August 8).
The training sessions teach attendees how to prepare for, respond to and
recover from natural and manmade disasters and emergencies. A free backpack
of resources will also be provided to participants. Registration for the
training sessions are now underway online on the New York State Prepare
website at prepare.ny.gov/training-events.
Training will take place
from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, August 25, Monday, August 28, and Tuesday,
August 29 in the Empire Room Restaurant on the Fairgrounds. The Monday
and Tuesday trainings coincide with the Fair’s Senior Citizens’ Days, when
senior citizens sixty years of age and older are offered free admission
with ID showing their date of birth. Friday’s training session has been
added because of the strong demand at last year’s Fair.
“We’re pleased to be able
to partner with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
to make this essential training available to even more fairgoers this year,”
said Waffner. “Everyone should know what to do in the event of an emergency.
This is very valuable training and time well spent. We encourage visitors
to attend one of the three sessions.”
The training kicks off National
Preparedness Month, a nationwide campaign conducted annually each September
to increase public awareness about emergencies with a focus on actions
that can be taken before disaster strikes. This year’s National Preparedness
Month will focus on planning, with an overarching theme, “Disasters Don’t
Plan Ahead. You Can.” Every week in September will focus on a different
type of disaster – flood, wildfire, hurricane, and power outages.
The Citizen Preparedness
Corps training curriculum was developed by experts from the Division of
Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Offices of Emergency Management
(OEM) and Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) and is led by instructors
from the New York National Guard. All training sessions are conducted in
coordination with local county emergency management personnel and provide
an introduction to natural or man-made disaster response.
Participants will be advised
on how to properly prepare for any disaster, including developing a family
emergency plan and stocking up on emergency supplies. A key component of
this training is the distribution of free New York State Disaster Preparedness
Kits to all participants (one per family) containing
key items to assist individuals in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
The state training and kits will help New Yorkers be the most-trained and
best-prepared citizens in the country.
DHSES Commissioner Roger
L. Parrino, Sr. said, “Taking responsibility for preparing for a disaster
is essential for individuals, businesses and communities because sometimes
it may take hours and even days for help to arrive. The Citizen Preparedness
Corps training is an important step to learn what to do before disaster
strikes.”
Division of Military and
Naval Affairs General Anthony German, Adjutant General of New York, said,
“Our Soldiers and Airmen are looking forward to sharing the Governor’s
message on the importance of emergency preparedness. The information they
have to share can be critical when preparing for, dealing with, and recovering
from an emergency.”
Office for the Aging Acting
Director Greg Olsen said, “One of the most important steps we can take
to protect people is to provide them with the necessary information, resources,
and tools before an emergency or disaster occurs. Citizen Preparedness
Corps Training is the perfect prescription to meet that goal—it teaches
residents how to assemble an emergency
preparedness kit; how to create a household
evacuation plan, which includes pets; and how to stay informed about
your community’s risk and response plans. Our experiences in New York have
shown us that planning can no longer be an afterthought; it must be at
the forefront for all of us.”
Senior group buses and vans
are welcome at the Fair on Senior Citizens’ days, which attracted 160,000
people last year. There is a reception area for senior group bus and van
parking, which requires a special parking permit. Please contact the Art
and Home Center office at 315-487-7711 ext. 1265 to pre-register for this
permit. Fairgoers can use the Fair’s internal tram network, with the service
running from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Some trams are handicapped-accessible. These
trams travel around the perimeter road, stopping at 11 scheduled stops.
All trams may be ridden free of charge thanks to a sponsorship from Chevrolet.
About the Division of
Homeland Security and Emergency Services
DHSES and its four offices
– Counter Terrorism, Emergency Management, Fire Prevention and Control,
and Interoperable and Emergency Communications – provide leadership, coordination
and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond
to, and recover from terrorism and other man-made and natural disasters,
threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES
Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES
on Twitter, or visit dhses.ny.gov.
About the Great New York
State Fair
The New
York State Fair, operated by the New
York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August
23 to September 4, 2017. The Fair’s mission, reflected in its theme, “Find
Your Great...,” is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing
top-quality entertainment.
The 375-acre New York State
Fairgrounds is undergoing the most significant transformation since it
first opened its gates in 1890. The $50 million plan, announced by Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo, revitalizes the grounds in many ways, improving the quality
of the fairgoer’s experience and providing greater economic benefits for
the region. Improvements include the dramatic new Main Gate— the arches
of which recall the carriage gate that greeted fairgoers in 1900, a larger,
15-acre Wade Shows Midway that will hold more rides than ever, and the
brand new 315-site Empire RV Park with underground water, sewer and electrical
service. The plan will better position the New York State Fairgrounds as
a premier year-round, multi-use facility that can attract more events and
visitors from across the nation. Renderings can be viewed
here.
A year-round schedule
of events is available on the Fair’s
website. Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook,
follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and
enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair.
Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York
State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
Media Contacts:
Jola
Szubielski
Public Information Officer
NYS Department of Agriculture
& Markets
518-457-0752
Dave
Bullard
Public Relations
New York State Fair
315-487-7711 x 1377 |