Resolve to be Ready: 2010
For many, the New Year is a time for making resolutions for the year ahead. Spend more time with family, lose 10 pounds, exercise more and reduce debt are resolutions that appear on many lists, but the Ready Campaign is asking Americans to Resolve to be Ready in 2010 by making an emergency preparedness resolution.
The Ready Campaign would like to make an emergency preparedness resolution easy to keep by providing the tools needed to take these important steps:
1. Create a family emergency plan - Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. You can download a family emergency plan template from their website.
2. Put together an emergency supply kit - You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity for at least three days. To find a complete checklist of the emergency supplies you may need in the event of an emergency, click here.
3. Be informed about the different types of emergencies - Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards, and your community's plans for warning and evacuation. You can obtain this information here.
4. Get involved in emergency preparedness - Visit the Ready Citizen Corps website to find local training opportunities, like Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
Emergencies will happen, but taking action now can help us minimize the impact they will have on our lives. Preparedness is contagious, what starts with one family can spread throughout a neighborhood, and every prepared neighborhood frees up emergency responders to take care of those who are in dire need. Preparedness is a shared responsibility; everyone is going to have to play a role. So Resolve to be Ready in 2010.