September is National Preparedness Month

Participate In National Preparedness Month

Individuals
During September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Preparedness Month Coalition will urge all Americans to take some simple steps to make themselves and their families better prepared for emergencies including:

• Get a Kit - Get a kit of emergency supplies that will allow you and your family to survive for at least three days in the event an emergency happens. The kit should include basic items like water, food, battery-powered radio, flashlight and a first aid kit. Go to http://www.ready.gov/ for a complete list of recommended supplies.
• Make a Plan - Plan in advance what you and your family will do in an emergency. Your plan should include a communications plan and address sheltering-in-place and evacuation. Go to http://www.ready.gov/ for more information and templates to help get you started.
• Be Informed - Learn more about different threats that could affect your community and appropriate responses to them. Go to http://www.ready.gov/ for more information about natural disasters and potential terrorist threats and visit http://www.ready.gov/ for more information about the emergency plans that have been established in your area.
• Get Involved - After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step: get training in first aid and emergency response and get involved in preparing your community. Citizen Corps provides residents with opportunities to prepare, train and support local emergency responders. For more information or to get involved visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/ to find your local Citizen Corps council.

From http://www.citizencorps.gov/:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is sponsoring the fourth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) this September to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. The month will focus on several different areas of emergency preparedness:


September 1-8      Back-to-School
September 9-15:   Business Preparedness
September 16-22: Multicultural Preparedness
September 23-30: Home and Family Preparedness: including pets, older Americans, and individuals with disabilities and special needs

Last year, Citizen Corps Councils, Affiliates, and Program Partners took part in over 900 events around the country. Let’s make this year even bigger! Help spread the word on preparedness by supporting and organizing events in your community.