By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN — With Tropical Storm Hanna threatening to soak New York City this weekend and more storms on the way, Office of Emergency Management (OEM) workers were stationed at Borough Hall Thursday asking passersby, “Are you ready for an emergency?�

The timing was right, with images of New Orleans’ near-disaster fresh in the public’s mind. Nearly everyone walking by, on their way to work or other destinations, paused to pick up information packs and undergo some gentle grilling:

“What are the three most important things you should have in your Go Bag?� “What do you have stored in your home in preparation for an emergency?�

Yesterday’s emergency awareness activity was part of the fifth annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Citizen Corps. In Brooklyn and throughout the city, the NY Citizen Corps Council and OEM gave away a total of 1,000 Go Bags and encouraged citizens to create their own.

While last year an OEM poll showed that slightly more than half of all New Yorkers had put together some emergency supplies, an informal poll conducted by this reporter found that only five out of 19 Brooklynites had actually put together some form of “Go Bag.� And in spite of an extensive public service campaign, more than half of those polled still had no idea what a Go Bag is.

A Go Bag is simply a collection of vital items —such as bottled water, a flashlight and energy bars — that you put in a ready-to-go pack in the event of an evacuation. While you can purchase a pre-made Go Bag from the American Red Cross, you can easily put one together by yourself.

“I should have it, but I don’t,� said one woman who scanned the literature at the OEM’s Borough Hall table.

“I saw it on TV,� said another. “I don’t have one, but it’s a good idea.�

For full emergency preparedness information, visit www.nyc.gov/oem or www.ready.gov/

How To Make a Go Bag

Each Go Bag should be sturdy, lightweight and portable, such as a backpack. Suggested items include:

• Bottled water and non-perishable food, like energy or granola bars
• A flashlight
• Battery-operated AM/FM radio, and extra batteries
• A list of the medications members of your household take and their dosages, and basic hygiene items
• A first aid kit
• Copies of your important documents in a waterproof container (insurance cards, birth certificates, deeds, photo IDs, etc.)
• Extra sets of car and house keys
• Copies of credit and ATM cards and cash
• Lightweight raingear and Mylar blanket
• Contact and meeting place information for your household, and small regional map
• Child care, pet, or other special items
• Change of clothing.

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