September is National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month
Disasters Don't Wait - Make Your Plan Today

There are all kinds of emergencies, and it feels like right now we are dealing with quite a few all at once. Emergencies can be natural or manmade. Natural emergencies include storms, floods, droughts, lightning-caused wildfires, and earthquakes. Manmade emergencies include house fires, financial upsets (e.g., losing a job), car wrecks, armed conflicts, rioting, and stolen identities.

Emergencies can be personal (e.g., broken bones) or societal (e.g., pandemics). Some emergencies we can take steps to prevent (e.g., being sure the car is in good working condition before going on a long trip), but there are many others over which we have little or no control (e.g., tornadoes or hurricanes).

Emergencies of any sort need not become disasters with the proper preparations. The month of September has been set aside as National Preparedness Month, with activities each week to help individuals and families be better equipped to deal with emergencies when they arise and prevent them from turning into disasters.

The theme of the 2020 National Preparedness Month is “Disasters Won’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Brainstorm with your family which types of emergencies are most likely to happen where you live. Then use some of the resources listed below to create a family emergency response plan. Be sure everyone in the family knows their responsibility, and practices doing what they need to do to respond to an emergency situation.

Some resources for family emergency planning:

• Centers for Disease Control “Disability and Health Emergency Preparedness”: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/emergencypreparedness.html
• Military OneSource “Creating a Family Emergency Plan”: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/family-life/preparing-your-family-for-emergencies/creating-a-family-emergency-plan
• Ready.gov’s “Make a Plan” https://www.ready.gov/plan and
• for individuals with disabilities https://www.ready.gov/disability
• Red Cross “Disaster Preparedness Plan” https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/make-a-plan.html
• for individuals with disabilities: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/inclusive-preparedness-resources.html

Why not start creating your family preparedness plan this weekend?