NEW OEM GUIDES TARGET SMALL BUSINESSES AND SENIORS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

NEW OEM GUIDES TARGET SMALL BUSINESSES AND SENIORS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

May 3 , 2005 — As part of its ongoing effort to help all New Yorkers better prepare for emergencies, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is pleased to introduce Ready New York for Seniors & People With Disabilities (in PDF) and Ready New York: Emergency Planning Guide for Small & Mid-Sized Companies (in PDF).

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

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.

Read the OEM press release.

Homeland security begins in the classroom

Homeland security begins in the classroomCathy Lanier had to think like a terrorist and come up with a way to kill a few thousand people at a picnic in San Luis Rey. The virtual town in California, repeatedly cursed with smallpox epidemics, explosions and attacks on its nuclear power plant, is part of her new education: The commander of special operations for Washington police is earning a master's degree in the fast-growing field of homeland security.

Schools across the country are catering to students such as Lanier by revamping curricula and research as they try to keep pace with the changes brought on by the 2001 terrorist attacks and take advantage of a large pool of homeland security money. At hundreds of schools, Sept. 11 is influencing how many topics are taught -- from medicine to firefighting to politics to computer networking.