Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Lincoln expresses the importance of preparation to successfully complete a big job. When thinking about preparation, ask yourself this: are you prepared if an emergency were to happen today? Do you have an emergency preparedness plan? When was the last time you updated your plan and supplies? Emergency preparedness is something we should not overlook.
National Preparedness Month
To make sure we set aside time to prepare for a disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deemed September as National Preparedness Month. National Preparedness Month was established in 2004 as a reaction to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center. Each year FEMA proposes a theme and facilitates activities that help prepare our families and communities for a disaster. To participate in preparedness activities and for tips on how to deal with disasters like flood, wildfire, hurricane, power outages visit ready.gov.
Make a Plan
The theme for this year’s National Preparedness Month is “Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today.” One of the most important things we can do to prepare ourselves for an emergency situation is to make a plan. This plan will dictate your actions when you’re thrown into the chaos of a disaster.
Your plan should address questions like “How will my family get in touch if cell phones, internet or landlines don’t work” and “Where will my family meet incase we are separated at the time of the disaster?” Incorporate the answers into your plan. Once your plan is formulated share the information with your loved ones. It’s not a bad idea to practice you plan either.
Having an emergency preparedness plan will ensure that everyone is one the same page when disaster strikes. We all know it’s important to have a plan, but this is the month to actually take action and create one!