STATEN ISLAND, NY -- New York Army National Guard Pfc. Edwin Olivera distributes disaster and emergency response starter kits at the launch of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program here on Feb. 1. New York National Guard troops gave disaster and emergency training to more than 1,200 people who attended events at New Dorp High School here and in Suffolk County. The program is designed to give citizens the knowledge and tools to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. New York National Guard troops, working with experts from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and local emergency management personnel will conduct future training sessions with the goal of teaching approximately 100,000 New Yorkers during 2014. Each starter kit contains a first Aid Kit, face mask, pocket radio with batteries, food bars emergency blanket and other key items to help citizens in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Olivera, of Queens, N.Y., belongs to the 42nd Infantry Division.

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