Community Preparedness

Emergencies affect every community differently, but you can help your community be prepared and resilient. NYC Emergency Management helps local organizations build capacity within their community to prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency. This includes training classes and events, preparedness and emergency information, preparedness resources for disability, access and functional needs populations, and connecting established community networks to the City's Emergency Operations Center during a disaster.

You can also become a volunteer.

Community Emergency Planning Toolkit

Community Emergency Planning Toolkit

Help your community become more resilient! Learn about how New York City plans for hazards, how your organization can help your community can create its own emergency plan.

What is in this toolkit?

• New York City specific guidance for emergency planning
• A plan template and scenarios for communities to develop their own emergency plan
• Examples of other community emergency planning efforts

Who is it for?

This toolkit is designed to be a group process. You define your own community — successful planning has been done by housing developments, congregations, neighborhoods, etc. Examples of groups that could use the toolkit include:

• Tenant or civic associations
• Faith-based groups
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• Community-based organizations
• Community boards/coalitions

Get a Toolkit and Plan Template

• Get a copy of the toolkit to start making your community's emergency plan today.
• Use the plan template to capture and organize the ideas and decisions made during the planning process.

Community Preparedness Boot Camp

The Community Preparedness program offers a Community Preparedness Boot Camp. The training uses the Community Emergency Planning Toolkit to assist local organizations with emergency planning, and connects them with NYC Emergency Management's resources. 

Training Objectives

• Learn how to develop an emergency plan and make your community more resilient.
• Deepen existing knowledge about your community and government emergency planning and response.
• Understand your community’s vulnerability to emergency situations and create resource directories.
• Provide opportunities to make new connections and start building your own community network.
• Create a communication plan, and learn how to connect your neighborhood to community and government resources during an emergency.
• Integrate community organizations and faith groups into government planning and response.

Contact the program if your organization is interested in participating in the next Community Preparedness Boot Camp.

Community Preparedness & Response Portal

Community emergency networks help local communities share information during all phases of emergencies. They also help identify community needs and gaps in services and offer a structure for community based emergency planning. Through communication, partnerships and education, these networks can be a powerful resource in your community.

NYC Emergency Management’s Community Preparedness and Response Portal provides an online platform for community-based organizations and faith-based groups to build networks with other groups active in emergency planning and response. The portal also offers a mapping tool and a variety of planning and response resources.
Join the network today

More Resources

Share Your Space Survey

The Share Your Space Survey is critical to helping the City prepare for emergencies and outreach to all of the City's communities. Organizations citywide are encouraged to participate.
Learn more

Hazard Planning

Learn how New York City plans for specific hazards and what community leaders can do to mitigate impacts of emergencies.