September is recognized as National Preparedness Month sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Each September this movement is observed to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen anywhere, anytime. The goal of this campaign is to put people first and reach communities in need of a plan to help protect their friends, family, and coworkers. As promoted by National Preparedness month, the best way to get prepared is to get planning.
Making a plan as soon as possible is key for being prepared and protecting your people against any emergency that can be thrown your way. This is especially important because you may not be with those important to you when a disaster strikes. Everyone needs to know which types of disaster could affect your areas, how you’ll contact one another, and an easy to find and familiar meeting place to reconnect if separated. The first step in developing this plan and is to hold a discussion with your family, friends, or workers to start your emergency plan and find the answers to these questions:
- How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is my shelter plan?
- What is my evacuation route?
- What is my communication plan?
- Do i need to update my emergency preparedness kit?
Once these questions are answered, refine these solutions so that your plan is tailored to your specific environment, responsibilities, and daily living needs. Make sure you consider the demographics of each person included in your plan. This includes considering everyone’s ages, responsibilities for assisting others, locations, dietary needs, medical needs, disabilities, access, language barriers, cultural and religious considerations, service animals or pets, and those with school-aged children. Once all of this information is considered, a specifically tailored and effective emergency plan can take shape. This can be assisted by using The National Preparedness Month’s fillable form. The last step to having an effective emergency plan is practice. Practice your plan with all involved so everyone knows their roles and responsibilities and to minimize panic during the state of an actual emergency.
Forming a plan is just the initial steps to emergency preparedness. To learn more about National Preparedness Month and how you can participate, visit: https://www.ready.gov/september.
DII is your partner in safety and safety preparation. Our team of experts can work with you to understand the best way to talk about emergency situations and how to plan for them. Please contact your DII representative for more information. #NationalPreparednessMonth
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