Pledge To Prepare

 

# 7436

 

National Preparedness Month (September) is just 60 days away, and along with thousands of others across the country, AFD blog is once again proud to be part of this year’s NPM coalition.

 

As you can see by the chart above, the number of coalition members has quadrupled since 2010.

 

Members consist of individuals, organizations, and businesses . . . and you are encouraged to join as well.

 

Interested in preparedness throughout the year? If so, continue here to Pledge to Prepare.  By Pledging you will become part of the National Preparedness Coalition.  There is no cost or obligation in doing so.  As a Coalition Member, you will have access to exclusive resources and be able to collaborate with thousands of fellow members across the country on ways to participate and get your community involved.

 

While I promote preparedness year-round, twice each year this blog makes a concerted `preparedness push’; first in late May to kick off Hurricane season, and again in September for National Preparedness Month. 

 

The goal of NPM2013 is to foster a culture of national preparedness, and to encourage everyone to plan and be prepared to deal with an event where they can go at least three days without electricity, running water, local services, or access to a supermarket.

 

These are, of course, minimum goals.

 

The disruptions following hurricanes, tornado outbreaks, floods, and other natural disasters often run for days or even weeks, and so – if you are able to do so - being prepared for 10 days to 2 weeks makes a good deal of sense (see When 72 Hours Isn’t Enough).

 

As a Floridian, my preparedness plans are somewhat hurricane-centric, as these massive storms provide the most likely disaster scenario for my area.  But my disaster plans are appropriate for other disaster scenarios as well.

 

In addition to being prepared to shelter-in-place for up to two weeks, I have a network of trusted disaster buddies to whom I can turn in an emergency (as can they to me), several pre-arranged evacuation destinations should I need to `get out of Dodge’, and a 72-hour bug-out bag I can grab at a moment’s notice.

 

My Bug-out-bag, Canteen, & Toiletry kit

 

I also keep an overnight bag, and a fully equipped first aid kit, in the trunk of my car . . .  just in case (see Inside My Auto First Aid Kit).

 

My investment in preparedness is relatively small – only a few hundred dollars – which I consider cheap insurance. But if a hurricane, a pandemic, or some other disaster strikes, I’ll be in a much better position to cope.

 

As I tell people, preparing is easy.  It’s worrying that’s hard.

 

While the federal government will respond during any major disaster, they know it may take days or longer to reach everyone and to restore essential services. Which is why they encourage all individuals, families, business owners, and communities to become better prepared to deal with all types of disasters.

 

I would invite you visit the following preparedness sites.

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/

 

If you are on Twitter, I would suggest you follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and @ReadyGov.

 

And finally, a few of my own preparedness articles include:

 

In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?

An Appropriate Level Of Preparedness

The Gift of Preparedness 2012

Making The Most Of The Day Before Tomorrow

Credit FEMA/READY.GOV 

 

# 6531

 

 

A week ago, soon-to-be Hurricane Isaac was threatening peninsular Florida as it emerged off the Cuban coast and ambled north towards an eventual landfall along the Mississippi/Louisiana coast. 

 

And like millions of others within the `forecast cone’, I was considering what I would do if the storm turned my way over the next 24-48 hours.

 

Luckily, I already had an emergency plan, a pre-arranged place to go, and an emergency kit (see Inside My New Bug Out Bag) packed and ready to go.

My Bug-out-bag, Canteen, & Toiletry kit

 

Earlier this summer, my home emergency preparedness and supplies proved useful when a large tree limb came crashing down across my roof (see At The End Of My Rope) in the middle of the night.

 

Over the years, my emergency medical training and my well stocked first-aid kit have been called upon more times than I can remember.

 

And the single most important thing that has kept me from being a bystander – or worse, a victim – during an emergency has been my ongoing efforts in being prepared.

 

Blame it on early scout training, my decade working as a EMT/Paramedic, or (more likely) my 12 years living aboard a sailboat – but emergency preparedness has been an integral part of my life for nearly a half century.

 

Before anyone asks . . .

 

No, I’m not preparing for `doomsday’ like the folks you see profiled on cable TV. I’m an Everyday Prepper, who believes in preparing for more likely disasters I might actually have a chance to survive.

 

You know . . . earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, pandemics, wildfires . . . things that actually happen with some regularity around the world.

 

Which is why every September I join in with FEMA and Ready.gov to promote National Preparedness Month  (NPM12), by running preparedness essays in this blog.

 

Kicking off NPM this year, Ready.gov has a very effective graphic showing a `day before disaster’ for all 50 states. 

 

The date when it was still not too late to prepare.

 

Click through to the interactive map, to see each state’s date with destiny.

 

 

If you click on Florida, for example, you’ll get:

While Missouri yields:

 

You get the idea. 

 

One day the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all seems well.  The next day, quite abruptly, the bottom falls out and life for some people changes forever.

 

The Federal government wants all of us to be prepared for emergencies, as they know that during a `normal’ disaster (of which dozens occur every year) citizens may be on their own for up to 72 hours. 

 

In an extreme disaster (like we saw with Katrina in 2005), some people may end up having to fend for themselves for a week or longer.

 

With the kickoff of NMP12, Ready.gov urges all of us to:

 

 

And to do it today . . .while the sun is still shining.

National Preparedness Month Kicks Off

 

#5800

 

Despite not performing well for the cable news TV cameras - which has led many to call the storm over-hyped - Hurricane Irene has become the 10th billion dollar+  weather disaster in the U.S. this year, claiming more than 40 lives and producing devastating inland flooding across several states.

 

Six days after she made landfall, hundreds of thousands of people from North Carolina to Maine remain without electricity and many thousands are dealing with damaged property.

 

And even as our East Coast works to recover from this storm’s effects the NHC is watching another hurricane (Katia) in the Atlantic and a growing area of suspicion in the GOM.  

 

 

All which highlights the importance of taking part in National Preparedness Month which begins today, September 1st.

 

This year, nearly 6,000 volunteer coalition members have offered to find ways to promote preparedness in their neighborhoods, businesses, and communities.

 

 

Once again Avian Flu Diary is pleased to join in, and will present preparedness essays all through the month of September, as well as promoting NPM11.

 

It isn’t too late to join this coalition, and help promote preparedness in your business or community. Follow the link below to learn more and to sign up.

 

 

National Preparedness Month Coalition

Welcome! Join this community to:

1. Download the coalition members toolkit
2. Add your event to the calendar
3. Participate in national preparedness discussions
4. Connect with fellow coalition members by posting in the Community Forum for national or general topics or in a Regional Forum for regional topics.

 

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM)! This awareness month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps. NPM is held each September and is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities.

(Continue . . . )

 

The goal of NMP11 is to foster a culture of national preparedness, and to encourage everyone to plan and be prepared to deal with an event where they can go at least three days without electricity, running water, local services, or access to a supermarket.

 

And in order to do that, Ready.gov wants you to:

GET A KIT

MAKE A PLAN

BE INFORMED

 

I hope you’ll join us this year in making NPM 2011 the most successful national preparedness campaign to date and to promote the idea that individual, family, and business preparedness is a year-round priority.

National Preparedness Month Just Two Weeks Away

 

 

# 5755

 

 

Now only two weeks away, National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2011 is set to run throughout the month of September. Starting in June, Ready.gov, FEMA, and the Citizen Corps began their campaign to recruit 6,000 coalition members to help spread the message.

 

Progress as of 8/15/11 - Photo Credit FEMA

 

It isn’t too late for you to join, either as an individual, organization, or business. Follow the link below to learn more and to sign up.

 

 

National Preparedness Month Coalition

Welcome! Join this community to:

1. Download the coalition members toolkit
2. Add your event to the calendar
3. Participate in national preparedness discussions
4. Connect with fellow coalition members by posting in the Community Forum for national or general topics or in a Regional Forum for regional topics.

 

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM)! This awareness month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps. NPM is held each September and is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities.

(Continue . . . )

 

 

As you might expect, Avian Flu Diary has already signed up, and will devote considerable blog space to the subject of preparedness during the month of September.

 

Not sure how to participate?

 

You can view Highlights from Last Year's Events to get some ideas, and the NPM website will provide you with many toolkits that you can customize for your own use – including sample blogs, emails, tweets, and other promotional materials.

 

The goal of NMP11 is to foster a culture of national preparedness, and to encourage everyone to plan and be prepared to deal with an event where they can go at least three days without electricity, running water, local services, or access to a supermarket.

 

And in order to do that, Ready.gov wants you to:

 

GET A KIT

MAKE A PLAN

BE INFORMED

 

I hope you’ll join us this year in making NPM 2011 the most successful national preparedness campaign to date and to promote the idea that individual, family, and business preparedness is a year-round priority.

NPM 2011: Just Over A Month Away

 

 

 

# 5726

 

 

Now just over a month away, National Preparedness Month (NPM) 2011 will observed throughout the month of September. In June Ready.gov, FEMA, and the Citizen Corps began their awareness campaign and they continue to look for new coalition members.

 

This year – being the 10th anniversary of 9/11 – we are being asked to remember past disasters as well as prepare those that may come in the future.

 

As you might expect, Avian Flu Diary has already signed up.  And you can too.

 

Follow the link below to learn more and join.

 

 

National Preparedness Month Coalition

Welcome! Join this community to:

1. Download the coalition members toolkit
2. Add your event to the calendar
3. Participate in national preparedness discussions
4. Connect with fellow coalition members by posting in the Community Forum for national or general topics or in a Regional Forum for regional topics.

 

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM)! This awareness month is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps. NPM is held each September and is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities.

 

(Continue . . . )

 

Over the past 30 days FEMA has declared no fewer than 12 Major disasters within the United States.  And in June, they classified 10 events as major disasters.

 

 

While these major events affected thousands of Americans, every day thousands more are affected by smaller, more localized emergencies.

 

Household accidents, car wrecks, heart attacks, fires, floods,  storm damage . . .   

 

While we can’t prevent most emergencies and disasters  . . . we can be better prepared to deal with them.

 

As Ready.gov urges.

 

 

By joining the National Preparedness Month coalition, and holding events to promote awareness, you will be helping to spread this vital message. 

 

And that’s a win-win situation.

 

For you, your family, and your community.