As part of New York State’s initiative to prepare citizens to cope with disaster, trainers from the American Red Cross are coming to Oneida Public Library on Monday, September 19, at 4:00 p.m. to show high-school students and adults how to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural, man-made and technological disasters.
As a free adjunct to the hour-long presentation, trainers will also teach hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), an eminently practical skill for anyone who may witness a person collapse due to cardiac emergency.
Those who attend the in-person training will be able to find out how to register for having free smoke alarms installed in their homes.
The program is an extension of the New York State Preparedness Corps, which Governor Andrew Cuomo initiated in early 2014 in response to recent severe “weather events” such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. The program aims to “give residents the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions,” according to the Corps’ website.
“New guidelines from the State of New York recommend that each citizen be prepared to be self-sufficient for seven to 10 days after a disaster,” said Ellen Earley, a Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Associate.
The program is free and open to high-school students and adults. For ore information, stop by the Oneida Library, 220 Broad St., or call 315-363-3050.