September is National Preparedness Month in the US. With its roots in the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the national campaign began in 2004. The goal is to encourage families, organizations, and communities to better prepare for disasters and emergencies that may come their way. This year’s theme is “Start a Conversation”. To that end, let’s take a look at why it’s important to be prepared and discover some resources to get you started.
5 Reasons Why It’s Important
Being prepared not only for the usual chaos life brings, but also potential emergency situations is critical. In honor of National Preparedness Month here are five reasons why you should take the time to prepare now against potential disasters in the future.
- Safety – The safety of you and your loved ones is important. Putting together an emergency plan is a great way to be prepared for emergencies and disasters that come your way. Planning ahead drastically increases the safety of those you provide for and the likelihood of responding well under stress. Make a plan so that you know what to do, who to call, and how to stay informed.
- Reduce Stress – Daily life can be stressful enough. The acute stress of a life threatening emergency can be almost impossible to deal with well unless you have planned ahead. Preparing for a crisis scenario before it happens will significantly reduce the amount of stress that you are under in an emergency. Being able to calmly and responsibly handle an emergency will also reduce the stress of those around you.
- Minimize Losses – When you are prepared ahead of time you can greatly reduce the losses you experience in a disaster scenario. This holds true whether the loss is time, money, or possessions. The damage may still be significant, but you will always reduce the impact when you plan ahead well. Examples include: having a fully stocked first aid kit, knowing how to shut off your utilities, and having the proper insurance coverage.
- Community Resilience – If you are able to deal with an emergency well, you are a benefit to your community. By preparing ahead your are able to provide both resources, time, and a measure of calm confidence to those who may look to you for help. When individuals and families are well equipped to handle a disaster, the whole community becomes stronger.
- Peace of Mind – Knowing that you are prepared and equipped to handle emergency situations that may come your way also brings peace of mind. You can rest easy knowing that you have the resources and knowledge to handle a crisis well.
5 Resources for National Preparedness Month
If you are ready to get serious about your emergency response planning, check out these resources. They will help you get started, but ultimately preparedness comes down to you and the choices you make.
Ready.gov – This is a good resource for thinking through potential disaster scenarios and planning ahead. They have great resources for getting kids involved in emergency planning and connect to other sources for further material.
American Red Cross – A great source for learning the hands on skills you need to respond well under crisis. You can take classes online and find volunteer opportunities to build your experience.
National Safety Council – This source primarily provides safety training and resources geared towards the workplace. However, they also have some materials focused on broader safety topics like teen driving, family travel, and seasonal related safety issues.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) – A nationally recognized training program for private individuals and community based volunteers. The program equips non-professionals to be ready to assist emergency response personnel in a time of crisis. Focuses include: fire safety, search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
The Prepared – If you lean towards a “prepping” mindset and desire a more independent, self reliant approach, check out The Prepared. This site takes a thoughtful and responsible approach towards prepping and emergency planning with tools, skills, and knowledge for individuals and families desiring to prepare for a very wide field of possible disaster scenarios in a much more significant way.
What’s Next?
If you found the above article and resources about National Preparedness Month helpful, check out these other great articles to help you prepare for life’s challenges:
Develop a Home Emergency Plan
Put together your own Every Day Carry kit
Boost your personal security by becoming a Hardened Target
Improve your Situational Awareness
