NEW YORK CITY (LifeSiteNews) – New York City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) released a new public service video Monday, informing citizens of how to respond to a nuclear attack on the city, raising concerns of imminent danger among residents.
The “Nuclear Preparedness PSA” was created by New York City Emergency Management and is aimed at instructing New Yorkers on the emergency protocol they should adopt in the event of a nuclear bomb being dropped on the metropolis.
The 90-second video opens in a digital recreation of New York, complete with destroyed buildings and sirens blaring in the background. “So there’s been a nuclear attack,” a spokeswoman tells viewers. “Don’t ask me how or why. Just know that the big one has hit.”
The narrator continues, outlining “three important steps” that residents should take. The first, she said, is to “get inside, fast,” advising that “staying in the car is not an option.”
“You need to get into a building and move away from the windows,” the speaker urged.
Next, citizens are cautioned to “stay inside” and to “shut all doors and windows.” Those who have basements are encouraged to take refuge there, while those who don’t should “get as far into the middle of the building as possible,” according to the announcement. If an individual happened to be outside during a nuclear blast, they are advised to remove their clothing, store them away, and wash themselves.
Finally, the speaker tells viewers to “stay tuned” and “follow the media for more information … don’t go outside until officials say it is safe.”
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While the appearance of the video raised eyebrows, NYC Emergency Management deputy commissioner Christina Farrell said that there is no specific threat tied to the release of the guidance.
A statement from Farrell’s department noted that “the likelihood of a nuclear weapon incident occurring in/near New York City is very low” but stressed that “it is important New Yorkers know the steps to stay safe.”
No connection was made by the department between the release of their nuclear strike preparation instructions and comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year in which he warned western nations that his nuclear arsenal was on “high alert” owing to interferences with his ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Speaking to 1010 WINS, Farrell attempted to quell fears of an imminent attack, stating that there is only a “low probability” of a nuclear strike, but that such an unlikely event would still have a “high impact.”
“There is no specific threat at this time,” she said.
The video was made in response to surveys of New Yorkers, who reportedly said that nuclear war “is an event that they feel the least prepared for,” Farrell said. “I don’t know if there’s ever a great time to put out a nuclear preparedness PSA, but it is very important, and we want New Yorkers to be prepared – so no time like the present.”
Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol added that as “the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is important that New Yorkers know we are preparing for any imminent threats and are providing them with the resources they need to stay safe and informed.”
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended the creation of the nuclear survival material on Tuesday, seconding the opinion of the Emergency Management agency that there are no “imminent threats to the city.”
The former police captain argued that New York City is “still one of the top terrorist threats. There are no imminent threats to the city that we know about, but we always have to be prepared as New Yorkers.”
“I don’t think it was alarmist. I’m a big believer in better safe than sorry,” Adams said. “I take my hat off to [Emergency Management]. This was right after the attacks in the Ukraine, and [Emergency Management] took a very proactive step to say, ‘Let’s be prepared.’”