September is Preparedness Month

From our friends at the Red Cross, good information, planning and things to keep in mind!

Preparedness has never been more important as many of us have been affected by the heavy rains, flooding, strong winds storms and we are on pace for a record Tornado year. Thankfully, the Hurricane season has gotten off to a quiet start, but we can’t rest on our laurels as the peak weeks are ahead of us.  With kids going back to school, flu season right around the corner and our Disaster Action Team members have been responding to residential fires almost daily and they are providing immediate needs.  Across the nation, we respond to an emergency every seven seconds.

Many people in this country have experienced a significant crisis in their home or neighborhood, but less than half of the people surveyed by the American Red Cross have taken steps to be prepared for emergencies.

National Preparedness Month is a month set-aside to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. The Red Cross, among others, urges everyone to take steps now to be ready when emergencies happen.

In a survey conducted late last summer, the Red Cross found that although 89 percent of those surveyed believe being prepared is important, far fewer people are ready for when that happens. In fact, twenty percent of those surveyed have not done anything to get prepared, and aren’t sure where to get started.

“Being prepared today can save lives tomorrow,” said Steve Hansen, Regional Chapter Executive.  “You are your best defense against emergencies.  The Red Cross can show you what simple steps you need to take to prepare yourself and your loved ones for emergencies.”

There are three things people should do to be prepared – build an emergency preparedness kit, make a plan as to what your family will do in an emergency, and be informed about what resources are available in your community and what types of disasters could occur there.

Your emergency preparedness kit should contain enough supplies for three days in case you need to evacuate.  The Red Cross also recommends having at least two weeks worth of supplies at home. Supplies should include water (one gallon, per person, per day), nonperishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, a 7-day supply of medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and personal hygiene items and copies of important personal documents.

Your emergency plan should be a joint effort, including the members of your household.  Make sure each person knows how to reach household members, including an out-of-area emergency contact person, and knows where to meet if they can’t go home.

Being informed is important.  Learn about what resources are available and what types of disasters are most likely to occur where you live, learn, work and play. Take a first aid and CPR/AED course—a vital component of disaster preparedness in case emergency help is delayed.

You can also give blood to help keep your community prepared.  It is the blood already donated and available on hospital shelves that is available in an emergency.  To give blood, you must be healthy, be at least 16 years old, have parental consent and weigh at least 110 pounds.  If you have given blood before, it must be 56 days since your last donation.  For more information on giving blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

All Red Cross Chapters are urging area residents to make a renewed effort in September to prepare for emergencies such as fires, floods or storms.  The Red Cross has created a free online education program to make it easier for people to get prepared. The Be Red Cross Ready program walks people through three key preparedness steps: getting an emergency kit, making an emergency plan and being informed.

Document to use to get prepared – DOWNLOAD HERE and as a courtesy – IN ESPANOL AQUI