I Know My RQ. What’s Yours?

As a woman in her late twenties, I wholeheartedly embrace the Scout motto of "Be Prepared." In my oversized tote, I always have on hand the essentials: Blackberry, toothbrush, nail file, band aids, hand sanitizer, umbrella, a good book and tunes, and comfortable shoes. But as I have discovered recently, I am woefully unprepared for a disaster.

My organization, the Council for Excellence in Government, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to promote improved government performance, citizen participation in government and public-private partnerships. Since 2002, we have been a leader in examining issues of homeland security and emergency management from the citizens’ perspective. As part of this initiative, we developed the Readiness Quotient(RQ) survey in partnership with the American Red Cross, the Department of Homeland Security and Citizen Corps.

The RQ is a simple, free tool that assesses your level of preparedness. The ten questions on the RQ test are the most predictive of an individual, family or community's preparedness for a weather emergency, natural disaster or terrorist attack. The test takes about a minute to take, and when you receive your score, you're automatically given a list of things to do to become better prepared.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not very prepared. In fact, my RQ score is a 3 (definite room for improvement). But thanks to http://www.whatsyourrq.org/, I have a handy list of steps I can take to make myself more prepared like preparing a Disaster Supply Kit and creating a family communication plan.

The RQ survey is not just for individuals. Local governments, businesses and community groups can use the tool as well. By using the RQ, organizations can collect and retrieve preparedness data specific to their population; obtain a benchmark score that they can sue to address gaps; plan education and training; and track progress over time. To get a test for your community, just send an email to http://www.blogger.com/rqadmin@excelgov.org.

As the recent hurricanes have shown us, the need is now for individuals and families across the country to get prepared. So please take a moment today and log onto http://www.blogger.com/www.whatsyourrq.org/. And don't forget to share the test with your friends and loved ones.


Samantha Donaldson, Outreach and Communications Director, The Council for Excellence in Government