GREENE – With inevitable and unexpected situations that can occur in the blink of an eye today, emergency preparedness can be a vital asset to keeping citizens and their loved ones safe. While natural disasters and emergency situations can be unforeseen, the best practice is to be fully aware of the potential impact that such events can have on everyday lives.

In light of that, a partnership between New York State, the Greene Rotary Club and the American Red Cross is offering a free Citizen Preparedness Corps training session at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Genegantslet Golf Club in Greene.

The session, aptly named “Prepare, Respond, Recover: What To Do When Disaster Strikes,” was sponsored by Governor Andrew Cuomo in February of 2014. The Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program was introduced with the goal of training at least 100,000 New Yorkers during 2014 in the proper preparation for emergencies or disasters.

This training session, which is organized by the Greene Rotary Club as a community service, is free and open to the public.

A trained representative from the American Red Cross will conduct the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program.

“The program lasts about one hour and provides a comprehensive overview on how to prepare for natural and man-made disasters, and how to respond to and recover from them,” said Jill Deskins, Disaster Preparedness Manager for the Central New York Region of the American Red Cross.