‘I want to be safe in my own home’: Be prepared for next big snowstorm

They are planning ahead for emergencies.

“I want to be safe in my home,” said Bertha Lee, among the hundreds of thousands of Western New Yorkers stuck in her house for several days during last December’s blizzard.

Lee was one of nearly 30 people who attended a recent Citizen Preparedness Corps course at Community Action Organization of Western New York.

The training, led by the New York National Guard and New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, gives residents the tools to better respond to natural and manmade disasters.

Class leaders want people to be aware of warnings and alerts and do things most people already know how to do, such as adding an extra item to their grocery shopping list and gradually stocking up on food for an emergency – to avoid a last-minute run on necessary items needed for weather emergencies.

“The program strives to get people to do basic, simple things to be better first responders for themselves, to be better prepared for any kind of disaster that may be typical for their local area,” said Capt. David Falcon, medical readiness officer for 109th Airlift Wing of the National Guard. “We want people to do basic stuff like plus-up on food they purchase, make sure have enough water on hand and make sure they have some basic first aid.”

Edith Smith went to the course not so much for herself, but to help others. During and after last December’s blizzard, neighbors checked up on each other, she said.

“We were blessed in our area because our power really didn’t go out, but we had a lot of snow,” she said. “Snow was built up where I wasn’t able to get out.”

New York State wants to help people prepare for all types of emergencies, particularly this time of year, said Jim Clancy, deputy commissioner of preparedness in the Division of Homeland Security.

One way is to sign up for…