On September 11th, inside the quiet, book-lined walls of the Tannersville Library, a small group of us gathered to think about disaster, an appropriate topic on this mournful anniversary.

The occasion was a Citizen Preparedness Corps Training, a state-run program designed to give New Yorkers the tools, information, and motivation to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. The program is organized through the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and presented by members of the New York Army and Air National Guard. Our trainers that evening were Captain (CPT) Kyle Kilner and Master Sergeant (MSgt) Jennifer Caoili, two engaging presenters who made the sobering material accessible.

The Four Pillars of Preparedness

The training is based on these steps:

1. Develop an Emergency Plan
   Decide how your family will communicate, reunite, and make decisions during a crisis.
2. Build an Emergency Survival Kit
   Gather essentials (food, water, medications, first aid, light, tools) that could sustain each family member and pet for 7–10 days.
3. Be Aware
   Sign up for NY-Alert to get real-time emergency notifications. Stay informed about your surroundings and developing threats.
4. Get Involved
   Know what volunteer organizations and local resources exist in your community before disaster strikes.

Everyone received a printed Emergency Information Handbook that elaborates on these principles. Roughly the first three-quarters of the booklet walks you through the basics, while the last quarter is a Family Disaster Work Plan to be filled out at home. It’s your personal blueprint for survival.

The Go-Bag: A Starting Point

As a kind of head start, each attendee was given a complimentary Emergency Survival Kit backpack. It’s a surprisingly solid foundation for a personal Go Bag (as in “grab the bag and go”) Each kit included items from the three basic categories: Sustenance, Hygiene and Tools.

• Pair of work gloves
• Collapsible water container (10 liters)
• Basic first aid kit
• Pocket radio with AAA batteries
• Goggles, N95 mask, whistle
• Mylar rescue blanket
• Duct tape, plastic drop cloth
• Safety light stick
• Flashlight (with D batteries)

The presenters were careful to emphasize that this is only the minimum. Each family member should have their own kit, tailored to individual needs with additions such as medications, extra eyeglasses, pet supplies, etc.

Ideally, everyone would also have enough food and water for at least a week. Energy bars might be portable, but a week’s worth of water would be too heavy to tote. (Perhaps we should interpret the getaway vehicle as an oversized Go Bag on wheels.) For the backpack, a more practical option would be a Life Straw, which filters on the fly, allowing you to drink from whatever murky water source you might encounter.

Upon examining the kit’s contents, I pondered ways to personalize my own pack. The flashlight and batteries were heavy, so I would substitute a lightweight LED version. I considered removing the included plastic drop cloth, until I learned that it could serve as an improvised shelter, a rainwater catcher, or even an emergency blanket.

Understanding Local Risks

Preparedness depends on where you live. When our group discussed hazards particular to upstate New York, these three emerged as most likely: power outages, flash floods and wildfires.

We also talked about winter car safety: keeping a snow shovel, warm clothing, and a seatbelt cutter/window-breaking tool on hand. CPT Kilner reminded us that in a snowstorm, stranded drivers will often try to stay warm by running the engine, but they could die from carbon monoxide poisoning should their tailpipes become blocked with snow. In warmer months, the threat is flash floods. When escaping a vehicle that is submerging, unbuckle your seatbelt, lower the windows, and get out of the car. If you must break a car window to escape, here’s a vital tip: target the corners of the side windows.

The Real Work Begins at Home

While much of the discussion focused on evacuation, the presenters reminded us that emergencies can also trap us at home. Having extra food and water on hand, and cycling through it to keep it fresh, is equally essential. Both presenters shared their personal method of gradually buying extras during regular grocery runs and rotating the oldest items forward.

The training made one thing clear: preparedness is not a one-time task. It’s an ongoing commitment that requires assembling supplies, keeping documents updated, and periodically reviewing plans as life circumstances change. Leaving the library that evening, survival backpack in hand, I felt I had been handed the agency to face adversity. There’s a quiet confidence that comes from replacing vague dread with concrete steps. Preparedness, it turns out, is less about expecting disaster, and more about refusing to be caught off guard.