September is National Preparedness Month!

 “Be Disaster Aware. Take Action to Prepare”

For Immediate Release 

(Charleston) Are you ready for an emergency - floods, severe weather, power outages, etc.? Are you ready to protect your family, neighbors, and co-workers during a disaster? September is Preparedness Month. Volunteer West Virginia’s ReadyWV campaign encourages individuals, families, businesses and communities to prepare yourself and those in your care for emergencies and disasters.

If you’ve seen the news recently, you know that natural or man-made disasters can happen unexpectedly at any time in your community. Police, fire and rescue personnel may not always be able to reach you quickly in an emergency or disaster. The most important step you can take in helping local responders is being able to take care of yourself and those in your care.

Simple steps to take:

Stay Informed: Information is available from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial resources.

Learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency go to: Ready.gov/be-informed

Make a Plan: Discuss, agree on, and document an emergency plan with your loved ones. See sample Family Plan Template. Work together with neighbors, colleagues, and others to build community resilience. Ready.gov/make-a-plan

Build a Kit: Keep enough emergency supplies - water, nonperishable food, first aid, prescriptions, flashlights, and battery-powered or hand crank radio on hand - for your household. Ready.gov/build-a-kit

Get Involved: There are many ways to get involved especially before a disaster occurs. The whole

community can participate in programs and activities to make their families, homes and places of worship safer from risks and threats. Community leaders agree that the formula for ensuring a safer

homeland consists of volunteers, a trained and informed public, and increased support of emergency response agencies during disasters. Ready.gov/get-involved

Contact your local firehouse and ask for a tour and information about preparedness

Get involved with your local American Red Cross Chapter or train with a local Community Emergency

Response Team (CERT).

By taking these simple actions, you can make your family safer and better able to recover!