FEMA Region III Encourages You to Be a Local Hero
This September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). NPM, now in its tenth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign encouraging households, businesses, and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies.
“People often ask how they can help out first responders in an emergency,” said Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney, “well one of the best ways is to be self-sufficient following an emergency, that takes pressure off of responders and they can focus on the most critical situations.”
Preparedness is a shared responsibility that takes input and work from the Whole Community. A resilient community is one that’s prepared for an emergency and that preparation can’t be done solely by local officials. It takes individuals, families, business, schools, faith-based organizations, and community-based organizations getting involved and joining together.
Residents should also talk to and work with their local emergency officials. By talking to local officials, citizens gain valuable insight, lend input, and develop relationships for planning and communicating before an emergency strikes.
“Another great way to get prepared for an emergency is to get involved in your community,” Tierney said, “there are many different organizations that you can get involved with, such as Community Emergency Response Teams,
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