Let’s hope Big Apple officials don’t know something the rest of us don’t.
New York City launched a new public service announcement Monday on what to do in case of a nuclear attack. The subject may bring back memories for folks old enough to remember the Cold War with Russia, but it’s been decades since school children were taught to hide under their desks.
“While the likelihood of a nuclear weapon incident occurring in/near New York City is very low, it is important New Yorkers know the steps to stay safe,” the NYC Emergency Management Department said in its press release.
The PSA identifies three steps New Yorkers can take “as the threat landscape continues to evolve.”
“So there’s been a nuclear attack,” the narrator says. “Don’t ask me how or why. Just know that the big one has hit. OK. So what do we do?”
If you said “panic,” you flunked. What you should do, according to New York officials, is A) Get inside and away from windows; B) Hide in the basement, if possible; C) Follow media for the latest details and watch for officials’ alerts when it’s safe to go outside.
The grim announcement has advice for those unable to get inside before the blast, too.
“If you were outside after the blast, get clean immediately,” it states. “Remove and bag all outer clothing, to keep radioactive dust or ash away from your body.”
New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said the announcement is just a way of making sure the city’s more than eight million inhabitants are ready for the unthinkable.
“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,” Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said, per the press release.
Although the PSA ends with the narrator assuring New Yorkers, “You’ve got this,” Twitter users weren’t so sure.
“How to survive nuclear attack in New York: don’t live in f***ing New York,” wrote doggywave.
“Evacuate now #NewYork, if NYC Emergency Management is issuing a PSA on surviving a #nuclear attack… They already know something you don’t!” tweeted Shadow Kaster.