US national preparedness month

September is National Preparedness Month, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has joined with more than 6,000 federal, tribal, state and local coalition members from across the country to encourage Americans to prepare their homes, businesses, schools and communities for disasters of all kinds. According to FEMA Regional Administrator Ken Murphy, this year marks the eighth annual observance of National Preparedness Month, and the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"This year's National Preparedness Month theme is: A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare," said Murphy." We focus on taking simple, but potentially life-saving steps to enhance preparedness, including: Get an Emergency Supply Kit; Make a Family Emergency Plan; Be Informed about the different types of emergencies; and Get Involved in your community's preparedness efforts."

"Preparing for disasters means that we must plan for the Whole Community, including people of different ages and those with various access and functional needs," continued Murphy. "It means planning for children -- and not just thinking of them as small adults. It means planning for the elderly, and planning for families without access to personal transportation. Whole Community preparedness means more than just planning for what's easy -- we have to plan for what's real."