National Preparedness Month 2022

Tuesday September 6, 2022

National Preparedness Month is observed every September in the U.S. The purpose of this month is to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. Each year there is a theme for Preparedness Month and this year’s theme is “A Lasting Legacy”. See the video below for more info on this year’s theme.

“The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.”

What You Can Do

Educate

One of the easiest and most important things you can do to prepare is educate yourself. Subscribe to weather alerts from the NOAA and follow trusted weather alert services on social media. Know if you live on a fault line or an area that is susceptible to hurricanes or forest fires. Make a plan with your household on where to meet and what to do if you get separated in a disaster.

 
Prepare

Build a disaster kit for your household, include items like food and water that will last a long time. Be sure to set a reminder for when the items are about to expire so they can be replaced. It’s also important to keep items for comfort like blankets and extra clothes and tools like an emergency water/gas shutoff tool and a multifunction knife. Read more about building your own kit here.

Volunteer

Find opportunities in your area to volunteer and support community preparedness. Even just asking your neighbors what they do to prepare for a disaster can be helpful. There are many organizations that support community preparedness including Citizen Corps, CERT, Red Cross, Neighborhood Watch, Fire Corps, Civil Air Patrol, and  the American Radio Relay League. Look online for a group in your area to volunteer! 

We did a full piece on CERT last month, read it here.