The New York National Guard held two hour citizen disaster preparedness training.
Friday, more than 60 volunteers registered for the event, hosted by the Rochester Branch of the World Mission Society Church of God, and included Multiple Emergency Services Offices.
The disaster preparedness training was led by the National Guard, and had experts from the Division of Homeland Security, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
Those who attended got the chance to learn how to respond to natural or man-made disasters, develop family emergency plans, and how to stock up on emergency supplies.
"We definitely talk a lot about family planning because without planning you can't succeed at whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish," said U.S. Army Sgt. Raphael Ramos.
With severe weather events on the rise, Governor Cuomo launched the New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps for residents to be equipped with the proper tools and resources, to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.
Since the program's launch in early February 2014, troops have held more than 2,682 events statewide, and taught over 151,000 citizens how to be better prepared for emergencies and disasters, according to New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.