“Walk the World Prepared” Video Available in 7 Languages

As a part of National PrepaAthon! Day the Oneida County Health Department is releasing its animated B’Ready Family “Walk the World Prepared” YouTube disaster preparedness videos in English, Spanish, Arabic, Bosnian, Russian, Karen and Burmese. “Oneida County is a highly diverse community and we want to ensure that important messages on topics such as personal preparedness are accessible to a variety of audiences”, stated Oneida County Executive, Anthony J. Picente, Jr.  He added, “We recognize that individual readiness and breaking down language barriers as much as possible prior to an emergency strengthens our entire community’s response and recovery efforts.”

The videos were created in consult with the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees and the Multicultural Association of Medical Interpreters who provided translation and voice talent.  The videos were also pre-screened with over 30 people representing each of the target language groups.  “This initiative acknowledges the reality that learning a new language requires time and patience”, said Shelly Callahan, Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees.   “We commend Oneida County Government for their efforts to communicate important information to immigrants at all levels of the learning process.”

“Personal preparedness is relevant to each of us and is a message that needs to be fully understood by all in our community,” said Phyllis Ellis, Director of Health. She added, “Applying just a few of the simple tips in this video can make a huge impact on an individual’s health and well-being in an emergency.”

The “Walk the World Prepared” videos are available at OCGOV.NET/health .  Additional disaster preparedness resources are available online including the Oneida County Family Preparedness Planner and the Oneida County Disaster Preparedness Guide.  Multilingual resources are also available at Ready.gov.