Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that more than 400,000 New Yorkers have completed the State’s Citizen Preparedness Corps (CPC) training program, which is provided by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the New York National Guard and the American Red Cross.

The announcement was made as part of National Preparedness Month which is held every September. This year’s Preparedness Month theme is “Start a Conversation” which was developed to encourage residents to talk about steps to take to protect themselves and their families. Governor Hochul encouraged New Yorkers to learn more about what they can do before an emergency to stay safe and help others.

CPC trainings are free and held in-person throughout the state. New Yorkers can find a local training and enroll online at dhses.ny.gov/citizen-preparedness-training-calendar. For those unable to attend in person, courses are also available online.