With the summer months just a few weeks away, it’s a great time for New Yorkers to restock on sunblock, dust-off the air-conditioner and learn how to recognize the symptoms for a heatstroke. On the latest episode of New York City Emergency Management's Prep Talk podcast, Deputy Commissioner of Community Engagement Herman Schaffer, and Human Services Specialist Jocelyn Rajaballey discuss the Cooling Center Program, extreme heat, and the importance of community groups to provide support during eme...
May 14, 2025•34 min
En honor a abril, mes de agradecimiento a los voluntarios, el nuevo episodio de ¡Prepárate! destaca la importancia de la preparación comunitaria con Doris Garrido, cocapitana de las Organizaciones Comunitarias Activas en Desastres (COAD) de East Harlem. Como colíder de una coalición de organizaciones y empresas locales que trabajan para prepararse, responder y recuperarse ante desastres, Garrido trabaja para proporcionar información y recursos ante cualquier emergencia que afecte la vida de los ...
Apr 23, 2025•18 min
In honor of Women’s History Month, NYCEM’s podcasts feature Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson on ‘Prep Talk’ and Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A. Peguero on ¡Prepárate!’ . They share what inspired them to pursue a career in public service and their commitment to the 1.4 million New Yorkers who call The Bronx home.
Mar 16, 2025•43 min
!Preparate! Episodio 25 con Janet Peguero by NYC Emergency Management
Mar 16, 2025•40 min
To celebrate Black History Month, we spoke with Traci Wheelwright, who serves as the Deputy Chief Counsel for New York City Emergency Management. Traci shared what led to her interest in law, challenges black women still face in the workplace, and what she hopes to accomplish in her current role. Prior to joining the agency, she held leadership roles with the NYC Department of Transportation, the Southern District Bankruptcy Court, Nassau County Supreme Court, Amtrak, and the Long Island Railroa...
Feb 27, 2025•25 min
Learn how many smoke and carbon monoxide alarms you should have in your home, what to do in the event of a fire, how to safely use space heaters, and more from FDNY Captain Michael Kozo, the Officer in Charge of the Fire Safety Education Unit. Captain Kozo also discusses brush fires, which, due to the record-dry fall, have presented the FDNY with difficult and dangerous challenges.
Dec 05, 2024•16 min
En nuestro nuevo episodio hablamos sobre la prevención de incendios, herramientas de seguridad y cómo los neoyorquinos pueden protegerse a sí mismos y a sus hogares durante el invierno con Fabricio Caro, Subjefe del Personal del Departamento de Bomberos de la ciudad de Nueva York. A través de la Fundación FDNY, la agencia cuenta con un equipo de expertos que realizan presentaciones en toda la ciudad para promover la prevención de incendios, la importancia de los detectores de humo y monóxido de ...
Dec 05, 2024•24 min
Prep Talk Episode 93 Large-scale Events by NYC Emergency Management
Nov 21, 2024•30 min
After recognizing National Preparedness Month's theme of 'Preparing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities for Risks and Disasters' in September, NYCEM's Ashleigh Holmes and Grace Scullion spoke with President & CEO of RaisingHealth Hewett Chiu, a leader in public health in New York City. Chiu has worked in New York City for decades on improving public health access for immigrant, AAPI , and vulnerable New Yorkers. He's also one of NYCEM's essential community partn...
Oct 23, 2024•14 min
On the latest episode of !Preparate! NYC Deputy Sheriff Sergio Bocanumenth shares how his love for community led him to a career in law enforcement. A career where being bilingual has been an asset, especially when dealing with the public in a city like New York with visitors and residents from all corners of the Hispanic diaspora.
Oct 07, 2024•15 min
On this episode of ¡Prepárate!, NYCEM Chief of Staff Yokarina Duarte and Community Engagement Specialist Emely Rodriguez sit down with NYPD Chief of Staff Raul Pintos to discuss his remarkable career at the NYPD, the importance of Hispanic leader, and some of the latest NYPD initiatives aimed at keeping the city safe. Pintos, who has dedicated over three decades to the NYPD, shares invaluable insights and advice for young people, particularly those considering a career in law enforcement. This e...
Aug 30, 2024•28 min
Un episodio especial dedicado al Mes del Voluntariado, con la participación del estimado invitado Matt Lyttle, Director del Segmento de Defensa y Seguridad en Guidehouse, una firma consultora de gestión global. La copresentadora Yokarina Duarte conversa con Lyttle sobre su experiencia como voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz en Nicaragua, lo cual lo preparó para una carrera dedicada a la resiliencia comunitaria ante desastres en Estados Unidos y América Latina. Los oyentes aprenderán cómo ellos también...
Jun 04, 2024•31 min
NYC Emergency Management's latest episode of ¡PREPÁRATE! talks with Commissioner Manuel Castro from the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the agency's role in serving immigrant communities of new York.
Dec 26, 2023•27 min
First Deputy Commissioner Christina Farrell and Director of Individual Preparedness Abby Banks discuss the Ready NY and CERT programs for the 20th anniversary.
Sep 01, 2023•28 min
In recognition of September as National Preparedness Month, the latest episode of New York City Emergency Management’s Spanish podcast ¡Prepárate!, features Ernesto Morales, alerts coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s San Juan, Puerto Rico office. As part of the National Weather Service team in Puerto Rico, Morales coordinates messages before and during weather events impacting the island. On the heels of the one-year anniversary since Hurricane Fiona, Morales st...
Aug 30, 2023•41 min
On the latest episode of ‘Prep Talk’, Cari Olson, assistant commissioner of the Bureau of Environmental Surveillance and Policy with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, discusses the dangers of extreme heat during the summer months. Ms. Olson shared what precautions New Yorkers should take to beat the heat, and how the city responds to heat emergencies. “My team is responsible for building a foundation of environmental health data and research, that is then used to improve the healt...
Jul 03, 2023•32 min
On this episode of “Prep Talk” Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of staff to the Mayor of New York City, shares her story about what inspired her to pursue a career in law, challenges women still face in the workplace, and what she hopes to accomplish in her current role. Varlack also discusses what led her to a career in public service and why she eventually started her own law practice. Throughout her career she has overseen the City and State’s response to various emergencies and talks about whic...
Mar 31, 2023•21 min
On this episode of “Prep Talk” Christina Curry, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities, the first African American woman in the role, discusses how she became an advocate for the deaf and people with disabilities. Curry also talks about the many challenges people with disabilities face and how they may differ for people of color. She shares the importance of having diverse voices, especially when it comes to planning for and mitigating emergencies. She also discusses her ...
Feb 10, 2023•44 min
Winter Weather Prep with DSNY by NYC Emergency Management
Jan 04, 2023•39 min
On September 19, 2022, Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, five years to the day of Hurricane Maria. Four days after, Mayor Eric Adams sent a multiagency team of New York City employees to assess the island’s needs after the hurricane. The team was comprised of employees from the New York City Emergency Management Department, New York City Department of Buildings, New York City Department of Design and Construction, New York City Police Department, and New York City Parks Department. O...
Nov 17, 2022•19 min
As the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches, New York City Emergency Management staff members reflect on the historic storm and the unprecedented impacts New York City faced. The storm forever changed New York City and was a pivotal moment in creating change to combat climate change and the increase in extreme weather events. On this episode of “Prep Talk” Herman Schaffer, deputy commissioner of community engagement and Heather Roiter, assistant commissioner of risk and recovery at ...
Oct 26, 2022•38 min
¡Prepárate! A Conversation with NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez by NYC Emergency Management
Aug 30, 2022•35 min
Prep Talk - Episode 83: Coordination with Utility Partners by NYC Emergency Management
Jul 29, 2022•32 min
The latest episode of “Prep Talk” podcast highlights the strategic plan as well as one its key priorities: talent retention and recruitment, and the agency’s goal for its workforce to reflect the communities it serves. The new episode featuring NYC Emergency Management Monitoring and Evaluation Program Manager Jimmy Deats and Deputy Director of Talent & Culture Veronica Geager.
Jun 28, 2022•37 min
On the latest episode of “Prep Talk,” Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season outlook forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, discusses the science behind the outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. He reveals what sparked his interest in meteorology and how he got started in field. Rosencrans also shares how NOAA fits into the disaster cycle and how they work with emergency management agencies when disasters occur. He has experienced a variety of severe weather events and di...
Jun 10, 2022•10 min
Prep Talk - Episode 80: Emergency Planning by NYC Emergency Management
May 26, 2022•18 min
On the latest episode of “Prep Talk,” Commissioner Zach Iscol discusses his experiences, expectations, and what he is looking forward to the most in his new role. Commissioner Iscol also chats about what sparked his interest in the emergency management field, what keeps him up at night, and his leadership approach.
Apr 11, 2022•19 min
As the emergency management field expands, so too does the need for diverse, knowledgeable professionals. On the latest episode of “Prep Talk,” two women leaders in emergency management from the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Elyse Morris and Cory Pardo, discuss the role of women in public service, leadership, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, and much more. Each guest also shared how they expect the emergency management field to evolve and the importance of having more women ...
Mar 24, 2022•26 min
On the latest episode of “Prep Talk,” Sonja Orgias, acting deputy chief counsel and co-chair of the equity and diversity council at NYC Emergency Management, discusses this employee-led initiative, the importance of diversity and inclusion in hiring practices and emergency operations, as well as mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. She also shares how a lack of diversity in the emergency management field can adversely affect the communities that are being served. Orgias also...
Feb 15, 2022•25 min
With an increase in extreme weather like heavy rain, heat waves, and man-made hazards such as oil spills happening across major U.S. cities, emergency managers understand the unique challenges dense urban areas face. To construct the best approach in emergency response, the Council for Excellence in Government founded the Big City Emergency Managers (BCEM) in 2005. The nonprofit organization serves as a venue to exchange vital information and discuss areas of mutual concern in emergency response...
Jan 19, 2022•47 min
