September is National Preparedness Month

Pickens County Emergency Management Agency urges Pickens County residents to take time to get ready during National Preparedness Month: News release from Pickens County EMA – (Jasper Georgia) – September is National Preparedness Month and Pickens County EMA, along with the Georgia Emergency Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign encourage all residents to take time to prepare for emergencies.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready America campaign, National Preparedness Month was founded after 9/11 to increase awareness and encourage action for emergency preparedness nationwide.

“It is important for Pickens County residents to take time during National Preparedness Month to get disaster-ready,” said Bob Howard of Pickens County Emergency Management Agency. “Taking a few easy proactive steps to get ready can help ensure the safety of you and your family in the event of an emergency.”

Throughout the month, Pickens County EMA and Ready Georgia and will join a nationwide coalition of thousands of private, public and nonprofit organizations, each hosting local events and initiatives designed to motivate people to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds. Each week focuses on different important aspects of being disaster-ready.

• Week 1 (Sept. 1-7): How to Reconnect with Family After a Disaster – If you don’t already have a plan in place, take time during this week to create a plan and discuss it with your family. If you do have a plan, take time to revisit it and make adjustments as necessary. After the plan is created, be sure everyone has a clear understanding of all of the details.

• Week 2 (Sept. 8-14): How to Plan for Specific Needs Before a Disaster – If there is someone in your family with unique needs, take time during this week to help them prepare. Consider pets, seniors or family members with special needs and make sure they have all items they may need.

• Week 3 (Sept. 15-21): How to Build an Emergency Kit – It is imperative that all Pickens County residents have enough supplies to last at least three days after a disaster. By creating a Ready profile on the Ready Georgia website, you can receive a tailored plan for the entire family that includes the specific amount of supplies to put in their household Ready kits.

• Week 4 & 5 (Sept. 22-30): How to Practice for an Emergency – Now that you have the proper items and plans in place, it is time to practice. To avoid stress during the event of an emergency, Pickens County residents should take time this week to practice their plans with their families on what to do if disaster were to strike.

Pickens County residents looking for more information on how to prepare, plan and stay informed about natural and man-made disasters or pandemic outbreaks can visit ready.ga.gov. For more information about National Preparedness Month activities occurring locally please contact Bob Howard or Rodney Buckingham at 706-353-8954 or follow us on Facebook at (Facebook.com/Pickens County Emergency Preparedness) and please sign up for Code Red if you haven’t already.

About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign. Ready Georgia aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency, and uses an interactive website, online community toolkit, broadcast and print advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences. For more information visit ready.ga.gov, find Ready Georgia on Facebook at facebook.com/ReadyGA or on YouTube at youtube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA.