Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada
Empowering Communities with Life-Saving Skills
Emergencies can happen anywhere—being prepared can make all the difference. Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada (CR|CP) is an innovative, research-backed, community-driven initiative equipping residents of Washington Heights, Inwood and the South Bronx with essential life-saving emergency response skills. Through comprehensive, hands-on training in CPR, automated external defibrillator (AED) use, Narcan administration, Stop the Bleed techniques, and safety and injury prevention related to bicycle and car accidents and drowning, the program ensures that more people are prepared to respond effectively in life-threatening situations.
A collaboration among faculty and staff from Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia School of Nursing, Mailman School of Public Health, and NewYork-Presbyterian, with support from the American Heart Association, (CR|CP) has trained more than 3,700 residents and continues to expand.
Research conducted by our faculty shows that there are significant gaps in knowledge and while many want to help in emergencies, fears of doing CPR incorrectly, causing harm, or facing legal concerns often hold them back. The Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada education and training initiative, seeks to transform hesitation into action. We are empowering community residents with the skills and confidence to save lives when every second matters, especially in the critical moments before help arrives.
Emergency Preparedness in Practice
The initiative works in three connected ways. REACT provides emergency response training for individuals and organizations; Project ADAM helps schools prepare for and respond to sudden cardiac emergencies; and Community Educators from CUIMC and NewYork-Presbyterian help bring these lifesaving trainings into the community. Together, these efforts build a network of prepared community members who are equipped to recognize emergencies, take immediate action, and help save lives while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive.
Resuscitation Education, AED, and CPR Training (REACT) | Community Emergency Response Education
What can I learn?
- Hands-Only CPR
- AED adminstration
- Naloxone and overdose response
- Stop The Bleed
- Injury prevention
Who can request a training?
REACT trainings are available for community organizations, schools, neighborhood groups, and other partners seeking to strengthen emergency preparedness and equip the people they serve with the knowledge and skills to respond confidently in a medical emergency.
Project ADAM Save Lives - Preparing Schools for Cardiac Emergencies
Helping local schools become Heart Safe Schools
Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada has partnered with Project ADAM to help local schools strengthen their preparedness for sudden cardiac emergencies. Through the partnership, our team works with schools to assess existing emergency response plans and establish the systems and procedures needed to respond quickly when a cardiac emergency occurs.
Schools are supported to:
- Know where AEDs are located and ensure they are easily accessible.
- Create a clear cardiac emergency response plan so everyone knows what to do.
- Identify and prepare designated responders who can act quickly during an emergency.
- Train teachers and staff in lifesaving emergency response skills.
- Practicing through drills to build confidence and readiness.
- Work toward Project ADAM Heart Safe School designation.
As the NYC Project ADAM Affiliate, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, in partnership with NewYork-Presbyterian, supports local schools in building the knowledge, systems, and confidence needed to respond to cardiac emergencies and help save lives while emergency medical services are on the way.
To bring the Project ADAM team to your school:
Please email us at acp@cumc.columbia.edu for more information and guidance.
Community Educators - Building a network of people prepared to teach and respond.
Community Educators are a growing network of CUIMC and NewYork-Presbyterian faculty, residents, health professionals and students who help bring Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada to life.
These volunteers help deliver emergency preparedness and lifesaving skills trainings to schools, community organizations, and neighborhood groups helping expand the reach of Community Ready and increase the number of community members prepared to respond in an emergency.
Meet the team behind Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada:
- Sachin Agarwal, MD, MPH | Associate Professor of Neurology, Faculty Lead
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Jordan C. Foster, MD | Director of Government & Community Affairs, Emergency Medicine; Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
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Dilenny Roca-Dominguez, MPH, MS, CPS | Managing Director, Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention
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Merona A. Hollingsworth, CHSOS | Associate Director, Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center, Columbia University School of Nursing
To join our team of Community Educators:
In the Community
By transforming hesitation into action, discover how CR|CP brings emergency response education into schools, community organizations, and neighborhoods.
The Story Behind Community Ready
The Research Behind Community Ready
Community Ready | Comunidad Preparada (CR|CP) grew from a simple but powerful idea: when an emergency occurs, the people closest to the situation are often the first who can act. Learn how research, community partnership, and education came together to shape the initiative.