| Ready, Set, Go! | National Preparedness Month |
September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). This annual campaign is sponsored by FEMA to encourage Americans to prepare for all types of emergencies and disasters in the home, in the workplace, and in our communities. The campaign focuses on helping Americans plan for events where emergency help may not be readily available.
To begin your emergency planning:
- Prepare for a situation where you’ll need to be self-reliant for at least three days. Keep in mind that services such as water, electricity, grocery stores, and emergency help such as fire, police, and paramedics may be unavailable to you.
- Know Your Hazards: Hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, earthquakes, and floods are just a few of the situations you might find yourself facing at some point in time. Take the time to learn about the specific hazards where you live and the actions you can take to prepare. The FEMA website offers a variety of resources to help educate the public about different types of hazards.
- Take Action: Once you’ve identified the potential hazards, take action to prepare yourself. Assemble emergency supplies; make emergency plans with those who live or work with you; conduct emergency drills to practice your actions; create a communication plan with loved ones; ensure important documents are in a safe location; evaluate ways to reduce potential damage to your property; get insurance for the known hazards in your area; and more.
Protection, prevention, response and recovery are all critical aspects when preparing for a disaster or emergency. In honor of National Preparedness Month, choose a day to focus on evaluating your risks, making plans, and assembling supplies.
Ready.gov, FEMA, and dozens of other websites offer excellent, free checklists and preparation information to help you easily and quickly become as ready as possible for the next major emergency.
