Four in ten Queens residents are more prepared for an emergency than a year ago, but many still have yet to assemble critical safety supplies and information, according to a new report by the American Red Cross in Greater New York and New York University’s Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response.
Based on the key findings of this report, which drew on statistics from a telephone survey of 1,000 adults age 18 and over living in New York City between February 28 and March 15, 2006, both organizations have announced expanded efforts to help prepare for emergencies.
“Residents of Queens and the rest of New York City say they are better prepared today than a year ago to cope with a major emergency or disaster, but we all still have so much more to accomplish,” said Theresa A. Bischoff, CEO, American Red Cross in Greater New York.
The report includes comprehensive survey data concerning New Yorkers’ perception of their own preparedness as well as the specific steps they claim to have taken to better prepare themselves and their households. These findings include:
“Through community education programs, the vast majority of New Yorkers recognize that preparing for an emergency can be the key to surviving one,” said Tim Raducha-Grace, Associate Director of New York University’s Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response. “However, our findings indicate that many citizens still lack critical emergency supplies, training, and well-practiced plans.”
The findings also include:
In response to this survey, the American Red Cross in Greater New York is committed to helping every household in New York City prepare for emergencies by increasing the dissemination of preparedness information – including data in Spanish – to residents in all boroughs.
For more information on this survey and this new report, visit www.nyredcross.org/research or www.nyu.edu/ccpr.
