September is National Emergency Preparedness Month
August 31, 2009 by Olu Johnson
Getting prepared for disaster is easier than you think.
September is National Preparedness Month and the Department of Homeland Security along with the support of coalition partners, is working to increase public awareness about emergency preparedness. During the month of September, consider taking steps to prepare your family or company for an emergency.
This year, National Preparedness Month focuses on encouraging individuals, families and communities to get an Emergency Supply Kit; make a Family Emergency Plan; get informed about emergencies and their appropriate responses; and participate in emergency volunteer efforts.
To help you, your family or your organization prepare for an emergency, you can take some simple steps.
To engage the people in your community on the topic of preparedness, consider these ideas:
• Organize scavenger hunts to teach children about the items to include in an emergency kit
• Hold poster or essay contests
• Organize preparedness fairs with nonprofit partners, faith-based organizations, public health agencies and government departments
• Convene workshops for business leaders
• Support emergency drills
• Educate those who rely on federal benefits about direct deposit and electronic fund transfers, a more convenient and safer way to get their money
Join us as we LIVE UNITED by raising awareness about National Preparedness Month in September.
Find out more about National Preparedness Month
Another great site, Do 1 Thing, encourages everyone to do at least one thing each month to make sure you’re ready in case a disaster happens.
The National Emergency Preparedness system does not appear to be organized at all. The weather warning sirens (klaxons) in Fort Worth, TX, went off on September 12, 2009, at approximately 2:00 a.m. For an entire hour the klaxons sounded, and not a single informational advisory was on any local radio or TV station, or on cable TV. What good is the system, if no local communication channels report on why the sirens have sounded? The only information we found was on the internet provided through the National Weather Service storm prediction website, updated every 5 minutes. I thought that after Hurricane Katrina this issue had been looked at. I know that many people do not have a computer in their home in order to navigate the web to find out information that simply could have been issued over the radio or TV. The sirens just started sounding again at 3:15 a.m. and there is STILL nothing on the radio or TV about it. I find that ridiculous, an ineffective use of very expensive equipment (sirens) and dangerous for everyone in case of a true emergency. Emergency preparedness is great, but there has to be an organized way to inform citizens through local media channels (radio and TV) of what the warning sirens MEAN at the time they sound.