Long Beach, NY - October 13, 2014 - Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has partnered with PSEG Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), to develop Let’s Get Ready: Planning Together for Emergencies, and Here For Each Other: Helping Families After Emergencies, emergency preparedness and response initiatives in English and Spanish. The free resources were developed to help institute emergency preparedness into families’ routines through simple tips, strategies, and activities, as well as prepare families with effective and comforting ways to respond when a disaster occurs.
Following the successful launch on Tuesday at the Ironbound Early Learning Center in Newark, NJ, PSEG Long Island’s president and COO, David Daly, joined by representatives from Sesame Workshop, Sesame Street’s Elmo and Alan, and local elected officials, introduced the initiative and innovative emergency preparedness materials to the Long Island community at the Long Beach Recreation Center.
David Daly – President and COO, PSEG Long Island
“The partnership with Sesame Street reflects our shared commitment to the community, in particular the families and children we serve. In helping to create an engaging, interactive tool, we are teaching children how to be safe, secure and cared for in emergency situations. PSEG and Sesame Street are leading the way in delivering the resources parents and teachers need to help ensure that the youngest members of the PSEG community are prepared.”
Ellen Lambert – President, PSEG Foundation
“We all try our best to be prepared for an emergency like Superstorm Sandy. But we may not always know when a crisis will strike, which is why it’s so critical for families to talk about action plans proactively. In preparing for an emergency, everyone in the family needs to be involved in planning, including young children. This unique partnership with Sesame Workshop will help ensure that there are tangible long-term impacts to helping families be prepared.”
Anita Stewart – Senior Vice President Strategic Partnerships & Development, Sesame Workshop
“Sesame Workshop, with our beloved Sesame Street Muppets, has always addressed educational and community needs through the creative use of media. We believe that a better tomorrow begins by raising smarter, stronger and kinder children today, and in partnership with PSEG, we’re helping families not only create stronger children, but stronger communities as a whole through our emergency preparedness and response initiative.”
Ed Mangano – Nassau County Executive
“Superstorm Sandy taught us that given our location as an island, we are vulnerable to the Atlantic Ocean and susceptible to the powerful and destructive nature of hurricanes. It is critical that residents be prepared for hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires and any other possible emergency. Do not take chances; make sure your Emergency Go-Kit, Emergency Plan and Family & Friends Sheltering Plan are in place and ready should Emergency Management officials determine your neighborhood must evacuate. I thank the Sesame Workshop and PSEG for providing additional resources to our residents so they are storm-ready.”
Jon Kaiman – Special Advisor to Governor Cuomo for Storm Recovery and Chairman, Nassau Interim Finance Authority
“Superstorm Sandy has taught us how important it is for all ages to be prepared for an emergency. I thank PSEG and Sesame Workshop for this unique partnership to launch the Let’s Get Ready and Here For Each Other app. It creates an opportunity for families to come together and learn how to be safe-and feel safe- in a crisis.”
Denise Ford – Nassau County Legislator
“Sesame Street has been educating children for decades and I applaud them for their continued commitment to our families. With the potential for disasters, both natural and manmade, it is extremely important for adults and children to be prepared. Our community will benefit from this partnership of PSEG and Sesame Street and I am grateful for their outreach by educating our young residents.”
Fran Adelson – Long Beach City Council Vice President
"We are excited to welcome our friends at Sesame Street and PSEG who are working together to launch their brand new emergency preparedness and emergency response initiatives. As a City that was devastated by the effects of Superstorm Sandy, emergency response and preparedness has become a part of our everyday lives, our new normal."
The materials are free for anyone to download and every employee will be encouraged to share the information in their local communities.
Let's Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies helps adults explain to young children various ways they can be physically and emotionally prepared for an emergency. Resources include a free Sesame Street Let’s Get Ready Mobile App (available on iOS, Android, and Kindle) and an online toolkit with video and downloadable resources for parents, caregivers, educators and children.
The materials offer tips on how families can prepare their children for an emergency in age-appropriate ways such as:
- Everyone, even young children, can play a role in planning for the unexpected.
- Creating an emergency plan that the entire family practices, and shares with the significant people in their lives is important.
- Helping children learn personal information such as a phone number, their full names, and the names of special people in their home, is helpful in case of any emergency.
Here for Each Other: Helping Families After Emergencies helps adults and children cope with disasters. These resources provide ways to talk as a family about what happened, while remaining hopeful for better things to come. With this information families can create a comfortable and caring environment, no matter where they are, even when they are not surrounded by their familiar things. Resources include an online toolkit which contains Sesame Street videos, highlighting the importance of asking questions, showing comfort, and coping with emotions. Additional downloadable resources include a family and community guide.
The materials offer strategies on how families can respond to their children after an emergency in age-appropriate ways such as:
- Comforting a child and spending quality time together can be the best reassurance that everything will be okay.
- Even though there has been a big change, simple routines can help children feel safe and secure.
- Children feel more secure when they know what is happening around them. Use simple words to explain what happened, and listen to your child’s questions and concerns.
- There are many people around who are ready and willing to help (firefighters, doctors, police, volunteers, etc.). These are caring adults children can talk to and ask questions.
Additionally, the interactive tools help parents develop key skills with their children to prepare for an emergency, including:
- Learn First and Last Names to help children learn not only their own full names, but those of their family members in case they get separated during an emergency.
- Where I Live to help kids learn and remember their home address.
- Neighborhood Resources to teach children about the kind folks they can rely on in case of an emergency, like police officers and firefighters.
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of $10 billion.