National Preparedness Month Starts Tomorrow

This September, our nation will mark the ten year anniversary of 9/11. Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) is a participant in National Preparedness Month in September, an event founded after 9/11 to increase preparedness in the United States. This event, now in its eighth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign, encouraging households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies.

One of National Preparedness Month’s key messages is: be prepared in the event an emergency causes you to be self-reliant for up to three days without electricity and utilities, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, or without response from police, fire or rescue. Preparing starts with these important steps:

 Make a Kit—Prepare a kit of emergency supplies that will allow you and your family to survive for at least 3 days following a major disaster. The kit should include basic items like water, food, battery-powered radio, flashlights and a first aid kit. For suggestions on making a kit, visit http://www.ready.gov/ or www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/DEM.

 Make a Plan—Plan in advance what you and your family will do in an emergency. Your plan should include a communications plan, a meeting point, and instructions on sheltering-in-place or evacuating. Go to http://www.ready.gov/ for more information and templates to get you started.

 Be Informed—Learn more about the hazards that could affect your community and the appropriate responses to take. Visit our website at www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/DEM, our blog at http://www.cowlitzcountydem.blogspot.com/ (hey, look at that, you're already here!), follow us on Twitter @CowlitzDEM and @CowlitzDEMChat, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cowlitzcountydem or give us a call at 577-3130.

 Get Involved—After preparing yourself and your family, take the next step: get training in first aid, CPR and emergency response or consider volunteering with the Red Cross.

Preparedness is a shared responsibility; it takes a whole community! This year’s National Preparedness Month focuses on turning awareness into action by encouraging all individuals and all communities nationwide to make an emergency preparedness plan.

For more about the Ready Campaign, visit www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY, in Spanish 1-888-SE-LISTO and TTY 1-800-462-7585.