“Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” That’s the message emergency managers are sharing with people all over America during the month of September.
September is National Preparedness Month and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) is urging everyone to take steps to make a plan and know what to do during an emergency.
Whether you deal with the possible threats of flooding, wildfires, hurricanes or power outages, the preparedness steps to take are the same. They include:
- Knowing your risk for where you live;
- Having an individual and family preparedness plan in place;
- Practicing that plan;
- Putting together an emergency kit with water and non-perishable supplies to last for at least three days for you, your family and your pets;
- Ensuring that your contact list is up-to-date for people you may need to reach out to during a disaster; and
- Establishing alternative methods of communication in case traditional means are not available.
Additionally, September 30 is National PrepareAthon! Day. You are encouraged to participate by doing a simple, specific action or activity to improve your preparedness and your family’s preparedness; or it can be something more elaborate that involves your neighborhood, your place of worship, your entire workplace or your community.
Perry Blackburn, Paramedic
Administrative Officer/Office Manager
Ware County EMS