Residents in one Queens neighborhood got some tips Wednesday on how to prepare for a disaster, whether natural or manmade. NY1’s Matt McClure filed the following report.

Staff Sgt. Gaspar Teri says nobody ever knows when a disaster might strike, so it's important to plan ahead.

“There's not as much chaos when an issue happens,” Teri said. “Pretty much a lot of things are coordinated, and the fear factor is pretty much taken away because they prepared, because they made a plan.”

That was his message Wednesday to residents who gathered at the Shri Lakshmi Mandir on Liberty Avenue. More than 150 residents attended.

The two-hour course was part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's Citizens Preparedness Corps initiative. The program started in 2014 to educate New Yorkers on what to do in case of a natural or manmade disaster.

“It actually brings home issues that you need to focus on, and that's why there was such attention and people stayed until the very end,” said Vishnu Mahadeo of the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council.

Organizers say they hold two or three sessions per week in different locations across the state, many of them for civic groups, churches and other community organizations.

Satya Singh says there's one thing in particular she is taking away from the course.

“How to be prepared and get the family together in case of an emergency,” she said.

“That's critical because everyone has family, everyone has kids, elderly people,” Teri said.

“Our senior citizens are our most vulnerable members of any emergency, so this is a very fitting program for our community,” Mahadeo said.

After the presentation, participants received a disaster preparedness starter kit, which contains a first aid kit, duct tape, gloves and lots of other items that people might need in case of a disaster.

“It's basically a starter bag to start you on your way so you can leave the situation,” Teri said.

Participants say they're taking the information to heart.

“I think it's very important in terms of a preemptive understanding of some of the things that are necessary to be done in instances that we've unfortunately had to be involved with, with Sandy and other particular catastrophes,” said Rodney Reid, a participant who lives in Rochdale Village.

For more information on the program, go to prepare.ny.gov.