The city kicked off a program Tuesday to better prepare children in the event of natural and manmade disasters.

"Every New Yorker, age 7 to 700, should know what to do to stay safe," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. Officials cited fires, floods, explosions and even tornados as reasons to prepare.

The city is distributing three versions of pamphlets that explain how to react to the situations. Public school teachers will share the pamphlets with elementary, middle and high school students.

However, Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Bruno believes the learning starts at home. "We encourage parents to take the time to discuss emergency planning with their family and their children."For Bloomberg visiting students to speak about disaster preparedness, go to channel 612 on your digital iO cable box and select iO Extra.

Related information:OEM