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September is National Preparedness Month, a campaign which reminds New Yorkers to be prepared for disasters or emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. This year’s campaign theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home,” focusing on getting back to the basics when it comes to being prepared.  

Overseeing preparedness efforts in NYCHA’s Emergency Management and Services Department (EMSD) is Lillian Fernandez, who has served as Deputy Director for three years. The Preparedness Unit’s various responsibilities include drafting emergency response plans, managing a flood protection project and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), improving resident and staff resiliency, and conducting training and exercises.  

NYCHANow spoke with Ms. Fernandez about her passion for improving community safety, some key recommendations for residents to become better prepared, and broader efforts underway to advance preparedness across NYCHA.  

Why is helping residents and staff be better prepared for emergencies so fulfilling? 

With preparedness, I look at it as helping the community. Our staff work very hard, and what we enjoy the most is helping people feel more confident and secure when it comes to facing uncertain situations. That goes not only for residents but also for NYCHA employees, whether it’s through training sessions, evacuation planning, or even just providing information, which we do at Family Day events or fire safety symposiums, where we share with them what they need to know to prepare in the event of an emergency. It’s especially meaningful to know that we’re making a difference for vulnerable populations. It’s about helping them not just to respond to emergencies but to be prepared ahead of time. 

Why is it important to spotlight this work during National Preparedness Month? 

It gives us a great opportunity to raise awareness about the steps people can take before emergencies happen. It’s also a reminder that preparedness is a shared responsibility, not just for us as an Authority, but also our residents and our employees — the people who wake up every day to come to work to help them prepare for emergencies. By spotlighting our work we’re not just promoting safety, we’re showing residents and staff that NYCHA is committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that everyone has access to information and resources that can save their lives. 

As Preparedness Month coincides with coastal storm season, what are some of the key messages that residents and staff should know to be better prepared? 

is a crucial campaign to help residents identify where they live, especially in hurricane evacuation zones, and what they need to do in the event that a storm is approaching. We also like to inform residents and staff to sign up for alerts, and make sure we encourage residents to make a “go bag” with everything that you need for the next five days that you can grab when you’re told to evacuate, as well as to have a communication plan with family. EMSD works hard to tailor these tips to NYCHA stakeholders to make sure that residents have the tools and knowledge to act quickly when it matters.  

What are some other EMSD initiatives to advance preparedness across NYCHA? 

We are working to bring more awareness to the Authority, including providing staff training and collaborating with other City agencies to ensure that we’re aligned with citywide emergency plans. We’re also working to make preparedness resources more accessible to residents in multiple languages. There are a lot of things coming out of not just the Preparedness Unit but EMSD, and our goal is to create a safer, more resilient NYCHA community that’s ready to respond to emergencies of all types.  

Visit New York City’s National Preparedness Month page at for more resources to help you prepare this month, and all year round!   

For more information on preparedness, visit or .