September is National Preparedness Month, and the American Red Cross is urging New Yorkers, including St. Lawrence County residents, to get prepared for disasters.

Red Cross Citizen Preparedness Corps training will be offered Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. at Canton-Potsdam Hospital, 50 Leroy St. The program provides an overview of how to prepare for, respond to and recover from both natural and man-made disasters most common in New York.

In addition to participating in one or more of these activities, people can also prepare by creating a basic disaster plan for their household.

"The Red Cross will be offering free resources all month long to help people prepare for emergencies," said Kimmy Venter, spokesperson for the American Red Cross Eastern New York Region. "We hope that everyone will mark National Preparedness Month by taking advantage of these resources and doing at least one thing to be better prepared to respond to disasters.”

The most common disaster threat people face across the country is the possibility of a fire in their home. As part of the Home Fire Campaign, which aims to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by as much as 25 percent over the next five years, the Red Cross especially urges people to check or install smoke alarms on every level of their home and develop a fire escape plan which they practice with everyone in their household during National Preparedness Month.

The Red Cross has developed mobile apps to provide useful information on what to do before, during and after emergencies. On the all-inclusive Emergency App and other Red Cross preparedness apps, users can develop an emergency plan and share it with others in their household.

People can also download the Monster Guard App which offers 7 to 11 year-olds a free, fun gaming environment to learn how to prevent emergencies like home fires and stay safe in severe weather. The free apps can be found in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

To help keep New Yorkers informed of a variety of hazards, the state offers a website, NY-Alert. The state’s all-hazards alert and notification system, NY-Alert contains emergency-related information including instructions and recommended protective actions from emergency service personnel.

NY-Alert sends individuals messages on severe weather warnings, significant highway closures, hazardous materials spills, and many other emergency conditions. Additionally, the service provides response actions being taken by local and state agencies and protective actions that individuals should take to protect themselves, their family and property.

To subscribe, visit http://www.nyalert.gov/. Individuals also can subscribe to the state’s new mobile app, iAlertz, for the latest alerts and notifications.

For more information about how to prepare for all types of emergencies, visit www.redcross.org.