ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

William C. Cox
Undersheriff

CRAIG D. APPLE, SR.

SHERIFF

Paul M. Courcelle
Chief Deputy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: September 4, 2013 Contact: Craig D. Apple, Sr., Sheriff 518-487-5365
Albany, New York This month (September) is National Preparedness Month (NPM). The Albany County Sheriffs Office has committed to participate in National Preparedness to increase preparedness throughout the U.S. The event, now in its ninth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, encouraging households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies. The Albany County Sheriffs Office is participating this year by releasing several preparedness videos and distributing its paperback book What Will YOU Do When DISASTER STRIKES. The videos are available on the Sheriffs website, http://www.albanycountysheriff.com . DVDs of the videos and copies of the book can be obtained at our Clarksville Patrol Station, our Headquarters in the County Courthouse or by contacting the sheriff by email at contactsheriff@albanycounty.com or by telephone at (518) 487-5400. One of NPMs key messages is: be prepared in the event an emergency causes you to be self-reliant for three days without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, or maybe even without response from police, fire or rescue. Preparing can start with four important steps: 1. Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community, and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency 2. Make a plan for what to do in an emergency 3. Build an emergency supply kit 4. Get involved. In addition to disaster preparedness, our videos cover two other very important topics. Its important for everyone to know what to do in case of an active shooter entering the workplace. We recommend the method of Run, Hide or Fight. Also important are the lifesaving techniques of CPR, yet many bystanders dont assist with CPR because of disease concerns with mouth to mouth resuscitation. Recent findings show positive results with hands only CPR. Additional information on both topics is contained in the videos. The Albany County Sheriffs Office will be conducting live presentations to various groups throughout Albany County. Scheduling of these events is currently in progress. Sheriff Apple stated We take preparedness very seriously. Our emergency management department is ready to respond to all types of emergencies such as storms, power outages, hazardous materials accidents and just about anything you can think of. Having our citizens prepared is part of our comprehensive emergency management plan. LIST OF VIDEOS 1. Introduction 2. Emergency Plans 3. Go Kit 4. Pets and Disaster 5. Hands Only CPR 6. Active Shooter
COUNTY COURT HOUSE ALBANY, NEW YORK 12207 (518) 487-5400 FAX: (518) 487-5037

www.albanycountysheriff.com