September is National Preparedness Month

September 13, 2010

Marshall County EMA Director, Clyde Avery is promoting National Preparedness Month.  He said, “Disasters can occur at anytime, anywhere, with no or very little warning. That’s why preparedness is so important.” 

As a part of FEMA’s Ready Campaign, the entire month of September has been designated as National Preparedness Month throughout the country.  This is the seventh consecutive year for this event.

The goal of “National Preparedness Month” is to encourage individuals, families, businesses and communities to work together and take action to prepare for all types of emergencies.   National Preparedness Month is supported by a coalition of public, private and non-profit organizations that help spread the preparedness message. 

Locally, the Marshall/Fulton County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Marshall County Emergency Management agency are teaming up to host this year’s  “Marshall County Community Awareness Day”. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 18^th, 2010 from 9:00am – 1:00pm in the K-Mart shopping center located at 2500 N. Oak Road in Plymouth. 

In addition, the following organizations will also be participating in this year’s campaign:

The Bourbon Police Department will be conducting demonstrations on how to properly install an infant carrier.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Reserve will be passing out crime prevention literature, answering questions and there may even be a visit by McGruff, the Crime Dog.

The Plymouth Fire Department will have the District 2 Mass Casualty Trailer on display and will be available to answer questions on fire safety.

The “Ready Campaign” encourages Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies by taking the following actions:

1. Get a Kit – Put together a kit of emergency supplies that will allow you and your family to survive for at least three days in the event an emergency happens.  The kit should include basic items like water (1 gallon per day per person), food, battery-powered radio, flashlight, a first aid kit, extra medicine, cash, pet food, and season specific clothing.

1. Make a Plan – Plan in advance what you and your family will do in an emergency. Your plan should include a communications plan and address sheltering-in-place and evacuation.

1. Be Informed – Learn more about different threats that could affect your community and appropriate responses to them.

1. Get Involved – After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step: get training in first aid and emergency response and get involved in preparing your community.

We hope you to join us on Saturday so that together we can build, sustain, and improve our capabilities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards that may impact the lives of the residents of Marshall County.

For more information on the “Ready Campaign” and National Preparedness Month, visit www.ready.gov or contact the Marshall County Emergency Management Agency at 936-3740.

REMEMBER:  Disaster Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility!