Preparing for a variety of emergencies

Having a plan and being prepared for natural disasters such as hurricanes, manmade disasters like train derailments, technology and cyber attacks, and active shooter situations were all part of a nearly two-hour presentation by two members of New York State’s Citizen Preparedness Corps, a unit of the state National Guard established in 2014.

Roughly 50 people attended the training program that included certificates of completion and a fully packed “go-bag” held at Atlantic Beach village hall on Sept. 7.

With natural disasters Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the news, a just completed “summer of hell” repairs to the Long Island Rail Road and the number of shootings that have occurred across the country, State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) and Assemblywoman Mellissa Miller (R-Atlantic Beach) made a joint request of Gov. Andrew Cuomo to have the Preparedness Corps visit the barrier island.

Staff Sgt. Alberto Cortez and Lt. Luz Garcia who are stationed at Ft. Hamilton in Brooklyn, along with officials from Nassau County’s Office of Emergency Management, Department of Homeland Security and state fire discussed what should be done in emergency situations. In the nearly four years the Citizen Preparedness Corps has existed unit personnel have spoken to more 100,000 people, Cortez said.

Cortez, a Guard member for eight years who has seen action in the Afghan War and just returned from Kuwait, waded through a wide-ranging multi-media presentation that showed that New York’s risk assessment is rated the highest in the country by the Department of Homeland Security.

“By preparing and planning and communicating may make the difference,” Cortez said.

In a chilling video, an active shooter situation was detailed. The average incident of this type lasts 480 seconds — eight minutes — but how people react and what they determine how many casualties there could be.

Advice: Don’t confront the shooter. Don’t hesitate, leave personal items and leave. Make sure you are out of harm’s way. Do what is best for you.

With the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy nearing, Five Towns area residents need to know what to do in these situations. Speaking from his experience being involved with Atlantic Beach Rescue and working along all levels of government to prepare for these incidents, Rescue Chief Jonathan Kohan said: “Shelter in place or evacuate. If there is an evacuation order make an effort to go.”

Whether remaining in your home or evacuating, having supplies is key to getting though the storm. Items such as a first aid kit, non-perishable foods, water, tools and a flashlight, batteries, a portable radio, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toilet paper should all be part of a survival kit. If heading away from home, don’t forget a map. Important personal documents such as birth certificates, passports and insurance papers should also be taken or secured in a safe place.

“These storms are always on our mind,” said Ford, noting the most recent storms that have wreaked havoc nationally and locally. “We have to understand when there is an evacuation order, we shore up our homes and get ourselves out of here.”

For more information on disaster planning, go to www.prepare.ny.gov.