September is National Preparedness Month, what better time to take advantage of resources that are available to help prepare for the next disaster. Recently we have all witnessed the devastation of the wildfires burning throughout California and the August Severe Weather (Floods & Mudslides). Preparedness is a year round activity. Building community resilience requires close coordination with government, emergency managers, public and private sectors, as well as individuals to plan for the needs of the whole community. The goal is to engage the public to make preparedness a part of their daily lives and not just for one single month.
Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month (NPM) is FEMA’s national annual preparedness outreach program managed and sponsored by FEMA’s Ready Campaign.
Ready ask individuals to do four key things:
- Be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and the appropriate responses.
- Make a family emergency plan.
- Build an emergency supply kit.
- Get involved in community efforts.
This year National Preparedness Month has partnered with America’s PrepareAthon! America’s PrepareAthon! is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions, and exercises.
The National Day of Action is scheduled for September 30, 2014 and will revolve around taking the actions to prepare for these six specific hazards:
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Hurricane
- Tornado
- Wildfire
- Winter Storm
The goal of this campaign is to increase the number of individuals who:
- Understand which disasters could happen in their community
- Know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage
- Take action to increase their preparedness
- Participate in community resilience planning
Jurisdictions throughout the County are providing the opportunity for their communities to “Be Disaster Aware – Take Action to Prepare”.
• The City of Hesperia will be exercising their CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Members in a Disaster Drill Response on September 19, 2014.
• The City of Rancho Cucamonga will be partnering with Honeyville Farms to offer a free Community Preparedness Fair September 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
On September 13, 2011, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a 5-year proclamation, proclaiming September National Preparedness Month in the County of San Bernardino, encouraging all citizens and businesses in San Bernardino County to develop their own emergency preparedness plan and work together toward creating a more prepared society.
Residents interested in more information can learn more about America’s PrepareAthon! and National Preparedness Month at www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY. To obtain more preparedness activity information, contact your city or the San Bernardino County Fire Department/Office of Emergency Services at (909) 356-3998 or visit www.sbcfire.org.