Overview

By helping New Yorkers prepare for disasters, fires, blackouts, life-threatening emergencies or other unexpected events, the American Red Cross in Greater New York is dedicated to ensuring that members of our community are fully prepared. This year, more than 85,000 New Yorkers relied on the Red Cross to learn how to prevent injuries and respond calmly and effectively when emergencies strike.

A poll conducted for the American Red Cross in Greater New York this spring underscored the importance of preparedness training, noting that a strong majority of New York small business leaders and residents say they are not fully prepared for an emergency and are interested in being trained. Eighty one percent of business leaders and 93% of residents say creating an emergency plan is important, but 61% of business leaders and 74% of residents acknowledge that they are only “somewhat” or “not very prepared.”

We offer certification and non-certification courses in preparedness topics and lifesaving skills for the residents and employees who live and work in the communities we serve. These include preparedness programs such as Prepare New York and Together We Prepare as well as health and safety classes like First Aid, CPR and AED training. We also offer a variety of Community Outreach programs.

Our courses and presentations are offered at our 150 Amsterdam Avenue headquarters and at our chapter locations throughout the five boroughs and in Rockland, Putnam, Sullivan and Orange counties. Private group training is also available for corporations, community-based organizations or social groups. Our Community Outreach presenters and Health and Safety instructors are available to bring training to corporations or groups, or arrange for training at our facilities. Through our Authorized Provider program, one or more members of a company’s staff can be trained to teach Red Cross courses directly to their employees. Con Edison and many other large organizations in New York have used the Authorized Provider program.

In addition to taking Red Cross classes, many residents further prepared themselves with Red Cross First Aid kits and disaster preparedness bags, which are available at 150 Amsterdam Avenue or by clicking here: http://www.nyredcross.org/preparednesskits.pdf.

Some of the certified programs we offer are:

First Aid Programs
American Red Cross First Aid programs have been helping people prevent injury and respond to emergencies since 1909. First Aid programs for all age groups help bring safety home. Our First Aid classes include First Aid Basics, Community First Aid and Safety, First Aid Basics, Sport Safety Training, and First Aid: Responding to Emergencies.

CPR Programs
Each year, the Red Cross teaches thousands of people how to respond appropriately to cardiac and breathing emergencies through training in Adult, Infant, Child and professional level CPR. Red Cross CPR courses meet OSHA requirements and reflect the most recent changes in emergency cardiac care. Our newest CPR course for the workplace includes Automatic External Defibrillator Training, the newest technology available to treat sudden cardiac arrest.

Aquatic Programs
Since 1914, the American Red Cross has been a leader in aquatic education. Youth and professional level programs, including Lifeguard Training, Lifeguard Instructor Training and Water Safety Instructor Training, are offered nationwide by employers at camps, aquatic facilities, state parks and recreational centers.

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED)
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes approximately 700 times a day in the U.S., causing approximately 250,000 deaths every year. Using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is the definitive treatment for sudden cardiac arrest. The Red Cross can tell you how to implement an AED program at your place of business and meet requirements for the New York State Public Access Defibrillation law.

Child Care
The Red Cross is committed to helping keep children safe. Our babysitter’s training course gives adolescents the information and skills necessary to provide safe and responsible care for children in the absence of parents or guardians.

For child care professionals, we offer training that includes preventing childhood injuries, supervision guidelines, preventing disease transmission, caring for ill children, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and recognizing and reporting child abuse. This professional training can be used to meet the New York State and New York City regulatory requirements.

Our classes combine our special training techniques with user-friendly materials and high-quality state of the art equipment including defibrillators and mannequins. Our standardized curriculum is accepted by national, state and local authorities as meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements.

"Before I took CPR and First Aid with the Red Cross, I didn't know what I would do if someone was hurt and needed assistance. After taking this class, I feel that I have the skills necessary to help someone,” said R. Ferguson, Red Cross class participant.

Community Outreach

We also teach the following community programs at schools, day care centers, community centers, senior centers, and other locations:

Til Help Arrives educates seniors on the steps to follow during an emergency

Whales Tales teaches children water safety techniques

Basic Aid Training explains important First Aid concepts

Fire and Burn Safety teaches kids how to avoid or escape fires

Scrubby Bear instructs children about the importance of washing their hands and being aware of germs

First Aid for Children Today (F.A.C.T.) helps children understand the role they play in managing their own health and safety and how their environment impacts their lives and health

Masters of Disaster includes ready-to-go lesson plans for integrating disaster preparedness and safety instruction into standard academic or after-school classes

Facing Fear is a Masters of Disaster curriculum supplement designed to help young people deal with terrorism and tragic events

“It’s so rewarding to teach children important skills like what to do if there’s a fire and how to be safe near the water. They absorb the information so quickly and end up passing it onto their family and friends,” said Margarita Medina, Community Outreach Coordinator for the American Red Cross in Greater New York. “At a recent event where I was teaching ‘Scrubby Bear’, a child came up to me at the end and said that he’d learned all about germs and why it was so important to wash his hands.”