Bath, NY — State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) today reminded area residents that they can register online for a New York State “Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program” that will be held at the Bath VA Medical Center on Thursday, April 28.

O’Mara and Palmesano are co-sponsoring the program in Steuben County at the Bath VA (76 Veterans Avenue), which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

In a joint statement, the area representatives said, “Communities and citizens across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions understand the critical importance of citizen preparedness in the face of unexpected natural disasters and other emergencies. Our entire area has been hard hit the past several years following Hurricane Irene and other severe storms, floods and emergencies. As a result, this emergency preparedness and response initiative has been welcomed and worthwhile in many places.”

The program is free of charge but participants must complete an online registration prior to the event. For additional information and to register online for the April 28th event, visit http://prepare.ny.gov/training-events.

The state launched the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program in early 2014 with the goal of training 100,000 New Yorkers “to be first responders in their own homes and in their communities.” The program seeks to provide citizens with tools and resources to help them better prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters. Trainings are led by the New York National Guard together with experts from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control. The local training sessions are coordinated with local county emergency management personnel.

Across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes, training programs already have been held and well received in Corning, Hornell, Horseheads, Ithaca and Penn Yan.