by Megan Spears
Did you know that the month of September is Emergency Preparedness Month?
Just a few weeks ago, just three short miles away a forest fire started. It was heading in the opposite direction as our house (thank God!), but it raised many questions from my kids…. “what do we do mom if the fire comes to our house?”
Thankfully, to the help of hundreds of fire fighters, the fire was contained in about a week and there was only a few homes affected. If you have watched the news or picked up a paper within the last few weeks you know that over 250 square miles are burning in the Los Angles area. Sadly, this fire has devastated the people of the LA area. The fire has killed two firefighters, injured 11 others and destroyed 78 homes, two commercial buildings and dozens of outbuildings(*). Did I mention that we are on the cusp of hurricane season. Disaster happens. That’s real!
After September 11th, the US Department of Homeland Security sponsored National Emergency Preparedness Month. Being prepared for an emergency doesn’t have to be a big investment or involve tons of planning. It might just mean having things organized at home so that you can grab and go within a short window of time, or just creating a plan of action.
The key is to just stop and think about being prepared and what you would need. Here are some great resources to start getting things in order for you and your family!
Ready America. This is by far the most informative website on being prepared for a any type of disaster! If you need to prepare your home, kids or business… Prepare. Plan. Be informed!
American Red Cross. Sharing tips and helpful hints on how to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency.
FEMA. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be the ones who can help after disaster has hit. Learn how to be prepared and what you can expect after a disaster.
Portland Oregon Office of Emergency Management. I live near Portland and I have this site bookmarked on my pc. It’s good to see if your local city has a specific office for emergency management. There, you can find out what your local area will be able to do for you to help you be prepared!
Take the time to think about what you would do to be prepared!
