Flu season can begin as early as October. Protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated and practicing good and regular health hygiene. Seasonal flu is spread from person to person, so use tissues when coughing or sneezing, and remember to frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water to reduce the spread of the germs. Learn more about flu prevention Read OEM's Tip of the Week online
Fires can occur suddenly and spread quickly. You may have less than three minutes to get to safety, so it is important to be prepared. Make sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and check the batteries twice a year. In the event of a fire in your home or apartment building, evacuate right away, closing (but not locking) all doors behind you. As heat and smoke rise, stay as close to the floor as possible when exiting. Learn more about fire safety Read OEM's Tip of the Week online
Power outages are more common in the summer months as New Yorkers rely on air conditioning to keep cool and energy usage spikes. To help conserve energy, turn on the air conditioner only when you're home and turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms. If power does go out, open windows for air circulation and try to keep your refrigerator closed to prevent food from spoiling. Learn more about how to be prepared for a power outage Read OEM's Tip of the Week online
September is National Preparedness Month, and OEM will be encouraging New Yorkers to get ready for emergencies all month long at locations throughout the city. On September 6, join us as we kick off National Preparedness Month in all five boroughs, and finish the day with an outdoor movie screening of Contagion at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn. Check out the calendar of events to find National Preparedness Month activities in your neighborhood, where you can pick up Ready New York guides, learn more about Notify NYC, and get information on being prepared for emergencies including hurricanes, fires, and utility disruptions. Learn more about National Preparedness Month Read OEM's Tip of the Week online
This blog and its author are in no (formal) way connected with the New York City Office of Emergency Management. The content has been pasted from the OEM "Tip of the Week" that can be subscribed to via the page http://www.nyc.gov/oemnews.
(This blog was created as an easy way for me to generate an RSS feed with the history of the tips, since I didn't see that anywhere on NYC.gov.)
September 2009 to June 2012, then occasionally: Also included FEMA "Tip of the Week" messages as they came through. I am not connected to FEMA or DHS in any way, either.