Gov. Cuomo's Citizen Preparedness Corps Empowers North Country Residents to Respond to Disasters

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Area emergency preparedness experts attended the Citizen Preparedness Corps training hosted at SUNY Canton to answer questions from the audience. Please see the complete release for a full caption.

CANTON, NY (04/08/2014)(readMedia)-- More than 250 North Country residents learned how to prepare for disasters at the Citizen Preparedness Corps training hosted at SUNY Canton on Saturday, April 5.

New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo started the trainings with a goal of preparing 100,000 New York residents to protect themselves, their families and their neighbors if an emergency strikes. Members of the state's National Guard presented a variety of ways to help residents to be proactive.

New York State Assemblymember Addie J. Russell said, "This initiative is about teaching New Yorkers what they can do in their own homes and for their neighbors to prepare for and respond to future emergencies. This is a truly visionary approach when you think about it - building a smarter, safer New York from the ground up."

Among the emergencies that attendants learned about included natural, man-made and technological. The National Guard members recommended advanced planning with all family members before an emergency strikes.

"It is important to get the message out that anyone can prepare for emergencies," said Michael J. LeCuyer, St. Lawrence County emergency services director. "Some things will be beyond people's control and they may need assistance from emergency services, but we want to empower people to take care of emergencies on their own. By doing so we can provide better services to those who need it the most."

Additional tips from the two-hour training included stocking up on food and water for at least 7 to 10 days. Typically, residents should save a gallon of water per person per day. Additionally, trainers advised photographing personal items of value and have important documents on hand and safely protected from water and fire.

"The importance of this training is neighbors taking care of neighbors," Said St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin M. Wells, who is a 1980 graduate of SUNY Canton. "If we don't help each other, what are we going to do? We are in an isolated part of the state and we need to take care of ourselves."

SUNY Canton has majors in Emergency Management and Homeland Security. It is also home to the North Country Emergency Medical Services Program Agency. The Citizen Preparedness Corps training fits well within the scope of the programs and services offered at the College.

The College is vying to house the State's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cyber Security through a partnership with Clarkson University, Potsdam. The Colleges would become the first in the nation devoted to homeland security and would establish integrated education, training and research in a comprehensive public-private partnership.

Full Photo Caption - Pictured are area emergency preparedness experts (L to R) Fire Protection Specialist Christopher Taylor from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, Region III Office of Emergency Management Director Bruce Jordan, New York State Police Lieutenant Troy J. Granmoe, St. Lawrence County Emergency Services Director Michael J. LeCuyer, and St Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin M. Wells.

About SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier College for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The College delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management, and public service to students in the North Country, New York State, and beyond. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to their academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as eight exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The College's 14 athletic teams compete in state-of-the-art facilities as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.

-www.canton.edu-