The Most Important App You Can Download Today

ATLANTA, Ga. — What’s the most important app you have on your phone—the one you can’t live without? Facebook? YouTube? Snapchat? Google Maps? All of them? What makes any of these apps so important to us is they provide content, connection, and capability. Some apps are fun, some are useful, and some help us get things done.

What if there were an app to make you more aware of severe weather, help you prepare for an emergency and ultimately make you, your friends and family more disaster ready? Would you download it? According to a recent survey by Pew Research, 40 percent of Americans have used their smartphone to look up government services or information.

The FEMA app is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. It’s packed with features that make it useful and informative too, and allows you to:

Get weather alerts;
Get safety tips;
Prepare an emergency kit checklist; and
Get safety reminders.

Every minute counts when severe weather threatens. Nearly half a million Americans already have the FEMA app. So take a few minutes today, and download the FEMA App for free on the App Store and Google Play.

On any given day, you may just find it to be the most important app on your phone.

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The Most Important App You Can Download Today

FEMA, NWS Urge Families and Communities to Take Steps to Prepare for Hazards

Officials Encourage Individuals to Register to Participate in an Exercise or Drill, Make a Family Communication Plan, Download Alerts and Know Local Hazards

WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Weather Service (NWS) urge Americans to take actions to prepare for a wide array of hazards by developing a family communication plan and downloading alerts and learning about local hazards. FEMA is encouraging people to take these actions in conjunction with America’s PrepareAthon!^SM, a grassroots, community-based campaign for action designed to increase preparedness and resilience.

America’s PrepareAthon! provides an important opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills and exercises. Visit the America’s PrepareAthon! website, ready.gov/prepare, to register your participation, for more information, and to sign up.

“Some disasters come with warning and others with little or no warning,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Families, businesses and organizations need to prepare today – know your hazards, assemble supplies and practice what to do in case a disaster strikes.”

According to NOAA, flooding, which can occur anywhere in America, proved to be the most costly hazard in 2015, costing more than $2.7 billion in damages. Natural disasters left a destructive mark in 2015, putting people at risk and causing approximately $4.8 billion in damages.

“People can improve America’s resilience to extreme weather by knowing their risk, having quick access to weather forecasts and making a plan to follow when forecasters issue a warning,” said Louis W. Uccellini, Ph.D., director of NOAA’s NWS. “We urge everyone to take a moment this weekend to review weather safety information, develop or update their family communication plan and check to make sure their emergency kit is ready for severe weather season.

FEMA offers free, easy-to-use guides, checklists and resources to help individuals, organizations and communities practice the simple, specific actions they can take for emergencies relevant to their area. Examples include:

Create a family emergency communication plan. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart. Take Part: Create Your Family Emergency Communication Plan. Collect the information you need, decide on the places you will meet in case of an emergency, share the information with your family and practice your plan.
Download the FEMA app for disaster resources, weather alerts and safety tips. Earlier this month, FEMA launched a new feature to its free smartphone app that will enable users to receive push notifications to their devices to remind them to take important steps to prepare their homes and families for disasters. The app also provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and open recovery centers, tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters, and weather alerts from NWS for up to five locations across the nation.
Sign up for local text alerts and warnings, get the latest forecast at weather.gov and download weather apps to stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how sign up for local alerts and weather apps that are relevant for hazards that affect your area.
Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place. Have all of your personal, medical and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.

# # #

America’s PrepareAthon! was established to provide a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness as directed by Presidential Policy Directive-8. The campaign is coordinated by FEMA in collaboration with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; the private sector; and non-governmental organizations.

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FEMA, NWS Urge Families and Communities to Take Steps to Prepare for Hazards

National PrepareAthon! Day: Take Action and Be Disaster Ready

CHICAGO –Join National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30 and take action to improve your family’s emergency preparedness and resilience to potential disasters.

“Disaster risks in the Midwest can range from severely cold temperatures, to high heat, severe storms and flooding. It’s important to understand each of these risks and what you and your family will need to do to stay safe,” said FEMA Region V Administrator Andrew Velasquez III. “Be proactive, and engage your family, friends and neighbors in one of the many simple ways to prepare for emergencies.”

• Sign up for local alerts and warnings and check for access to wireless emergency alerts. Visit your city and/or county website to find out if they offer emergency alert notifications through their own systems. You should also ensure your cell phone is enabled to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to warn you of extreme weather and other emergencies in your area. Remember, warning sirens are intended for outdoor notification. When indoors, your alert-enabled smart phone or weather radio can provide you with critical alerts.
• Develop and test emergency communications plans. Visit www.Ready.gov/plan-for-your-risks for tips on how to ensure your plan is as comprehensive as possible.
• Assemble or update emergency supplies. Include drinking water, a first-aid kit, canned food, a radio, flashlight and blankets. Visit www.Ready.gov/build-a-kit for a disaster supply checklist. Don’t forget to store additional supply kits in your car and at the office.
• Collect and safeguard critical documents. Make copies of important documents (mortgage papers, deed, passport, bank information, etc.). Keep copies in your home and store originals in a secure place outside the home, such as a bank safe deposit box.
• Document property and obtain appropriate insurance for relevant hazards. Discuss with your insurance agent the risks that may threaten your home and the types of coverage you may need to ensure your property is adequately insured.
• Download the FEMA app to your smartphone. You’ll receive alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations across the U.S. and have access to information about how to stay safe.

America’s PrepareAthon! is a grassroots campaign developed to encourage individuals, organizations and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions and exercises. More information about the ways to participate and register is available at www.Ready.gov/prepare. For even more readiness information, follow FEMA Region V at twitter.com/femaregion5 and facebook.com/fema.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Media Contact: Cassie Ringsdorf, (312) 408-4455

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National PrepareAthon! Day: Take Action and Be Disaster Ready

FEMA Encourages Families and Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

WASHINGTON –Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is encouraging individuals, families, workplaces, schools, and organizations across the nation to take part in National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30th, 2015. Extreme weather is occurring more often across the United States, which is increasing the costs of natural disasters. According to a recent survey conducted by FEMA, fewer than half of Americans have discussed and developed an emergency plan with their household.

As part of National Preparedness Month and National PrepareAthon! Day, FEMA is encouraging everyone to develop and practice their family emergency plan to prepare for disasters that are known threats in their communities.

“The first step in preparing yourself and your family is learning the type of disasters that can happen where you live,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Your family may not be together when disaster strikes. Developing an emergency communication plan doesn’t cost a thing, and the time you’ve invested beforehand will make it easier for your family to reconnect.”

National PrepareAthon! Day is part of America’s PrepareAthon!, a nationwide grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific group discussions, drills, and exercises. The campaign offers easy-to-implement preparedness guides, checklists, and resources to help individuals, organizations, and communities prepare for the types of disasters that are relevant to their area. People can take these simple steps to increase their preparedness:

Create a family emergency communication plan. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart. Take Part: Create Your Family Emergency Communication Plan. Collect the information you need, decide on the places you will meet in case of an emergency, share the information with your family, and practice your plan.
Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps. Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how sign up for local alerts and weather apps that are relevant for hazards that affect your area.
Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place. Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
Create an emergency supply kit. Be prepared for bad weather by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit ready.gov/build-a-kit for more ideas of what to include in your kit.

Visit the America’s PrepareAthon! website, ready.gov/prepare for more information, to sign up, and to register your participation.

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FEMA Encourages Families and Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

This First Week of National Preparedness Month, Make a Plan for Floods

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This is the first week of National Preparedness Month (NPM) and in the Midwest it’s off to a roaring start with active outreach and conversations meant to inspire individuals and families to take action and prepare for flooding—the most common and costly disaster in the United States. Yes, it can happen where you live!

During this first week of NPM, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 10 regional offices; county and local emergency managers; other federal agencies; businesses; voluntary and other organizations; as well as families and individuals will use news releases, social media, educational activities and events to promote the message that preparing for floods is important for protecting lives, livelihoods and properties.

“Flooding is fresh on the minds of many people in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. With so much flooding during the past few months, it’s a good time to consider the true risk,” said FEMA Region VII Regional Administrator Beth Freeman. “But it’s not enough to simply realize flooding is a real threat for us all. This month, this week, today, we hope everyone will take action to develop and practice a family emergency communication plan for hazards like flooding. This year our theme is, ‘Don’t wait. Communicate. Make your emergency plan today.’”

Fewer than half of Americans have taken the time to plan what they will do if there is an emergency. Sitting down and developing a communication plan with loved ones doesn’t cost a thing, but can save a lot if a flood or another disaster impacts you and your family.

In addition to floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes also occur frequently and devastate lives across the country every year. To encourage disaster planning for all hazards, FEMA and the Ad Council just launched a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish, at www.ready.gov/september, The PSAs direct audiences to www.ready.gov/communicate for tools and resources to help develop and practice a family emergency communication plan.

Managed and sponsored by the Ready campaign, National Preparedness Month is designed to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and places of worship. National Preparedness Month is an opportunity to share emergency preparedness information and host activities across the country to help Americans understand what it truly means to be ready.

National Preparedness Month Weekly Themes

•Week 1 (September 1–5) Flood

•Week 2 (September 6–12) Wildfire

•Week 3 (September 13–19) Hurricane

•Week 4 (September 20–26) Power Outage

•Week 5 (September 27–30) Lead up to National PrepareAthon! Day, September 30

National Preparedness Month culminates with National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30 when cities and counties across the country are planning community-wide events bringing together schools, their business community, government, faith leaders, hospitals, individuals and families, and others to participate in preparedness drills and activities for hazards that are relevant to their area.

For more information visit Ready.gov/September or follow the campaign on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/readygov, on Twitter, at https://twitter.com/Readygov, or for FEMA Region VII, www.twitter.com/femaregion7. For more information about events for America’s PrepareAthon throughout September, and for National PrepareAthon! Day information, visit www.ready.gov/prepare.

Quick facts to consider as you plan:

•Text messages and social media can be better ways to communicate during an emergency when phone lines are tied up, or even not working.

•Homeowners and renters insurance don’t cover floods

•Talking to children about emergencies and involving them in the planning process helps children feel they have some control over what could happen during an emergency. It can also make recovery much easier on everyone.

Follow FEMA online at www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Find regional updates from FEMA Region VII at www.twitter.com/femaregion7. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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National Preparedness Month Kicks Off on September 1

Washington – Disasters like floods, hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and earthquakes are a harsh and frequent reality for much of the country. According to a recent survey conducted by FEMA, progress has been made; however, fewer than half of Americans have discussed and developed an emergency plan with their household.

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Ad Council launched a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage families to develop an emergency communication plan before a disaster occurs. An extension of the national Ready campaign, the new PSAs launch in conjunction with the 12^th annual National Preparedness Month, serving as a reminder to take action to prepare for the types of hazards that could impact where you live, work, and vacation.

“The last thing you want to be worried about during a disaster is how to communicate with your family members,” said Administrator Craig Fugate. “Have that conversation today. It doesn’t cost a thing.”

The new campaign includes English and Spanish-language TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital PSAs. Created pro bono by Chicago-based advertising agency Schafer Condon Carter, the PSAs illustrate the importance of having a family plan in the event of an emergency by showing real emergency moments and asking the question, “when is the right time to prepare?” The viewer is encouraged to develop a family emergency communication plan through the clear message, “Don’t wait. Communicate.” The PSAs direct audiences to Ready.gov/communicate for tools and resources to help develop and practice a family emergency communication plan.

“Through the Ready campaign, we’ve made a lot of progress educating and empowering Americans to prepare for all types of emergencies but there are still so many families that don’t have a plan, said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “Having these conversations is really important and can have a big impact on our families’ safety in the event of a disaster.”

“SCC is honored to work with the Ad Council and FEMA on the Ready campaign,” said David Selby, President and Managing Partner of SCC. “This new campaign provides powerful imagery and a critically important call-to-action that we hope will cause individuals and families to pay attention, lean in and, ultimately, take action.”

Localized television and radio PSAs were created and will be available for 27 states, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington D.C., and New York City as part of an ongoing collaboration with state and local emergency management partners. These PSAs drive audiences to their local organization’s website for resources and information pertinent to their area.

As an extension of the national Ready campaign, versions of the PSAs were created for Ready New York, a local initiative that was launched in partnership with the New York City Office of Emergency Management in 2009. Tailoring the message to the unique challenges faced by people living in New York City, audiences are directed to call 311 or visit NYC.gov/readyny, where they can find preparedness resources, including 11 Ready New York guides in 13 languages and audio format.

Managed and sponsored by the Ready campaign, National Preparedness Month is designed to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and places of worship. National Preparedness Month is an opportunity to share emergency preparedness information and host activities across the country to help Americans understand what it truly means to be ready.

National Preparedness Month Weekly Themes

Week 1 (September 1–5) Flood
Week 2 (September 6–12) Wildfire
Week 3 (September 13–19) Hurricane
Week 4 (September 20–26) Power Outage
Week 5 (September 27–30) Lead up to National PrepareAthon! Day, September 30

National Preparedness Month culminates with National PrepareAthon! Day on September 30 when cities and counties across the country are planning community-wide events bringing together schools, their business community, government, faith leaders, hospitals, individuals and families, and others to participate in community-wide preparedness drills and activities for hazards that are relevant to their area.

Since the launch in 2003, the Ready Campaign has received nearly $1.2 billion in donated media. The Campaign helps to generate more than 92 million unique visitors to Ready.gov. The Ad Council is distributing the new PSAs to media outlets nationwide this week, and the PSAs will run in donated time and space.

For more information visit Ready.gov/September or follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter. For more information about National PrepareAthon! Day, visit www.ready.gov/prepare.

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National Preparedness Month Kicks Off on September 1

America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action Set for Thursday

DENVER – Thursday, April 30, is America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action, a grassroots campaign for action to get families, organizations and whole communities better prepared for emergencies. The campaign offers easy-to-use preparedness guides, checklists, and resources to help individuals prepare for common natural hazards and to take action, including downloading alerts and warnings, holding a drill, or safeguarding critical documents.

Despite the devastation that tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters have caused in recent years, nearly 60 percent of surveyed Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise at their workplace, school, or home in the past year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Denver-based regional office joins the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming in encouraging the whole community to participate in the America’s PrepareAthon! campaign by performing one of these simple preparedness actions:

Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone.
Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how to search for local alerts and weather apps relevant for hazards that affect your area.
Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place.
Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
Create an emergency supply kit.
Bad weather can become dangerous very quickly. Be prepared by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit ready.gov/kit for information on what to include in your kit.
Develop an emergency communication plan for your family.
It’s possible that your family will be in different locations when a disaster strikes. Come up with a plan so everyone knows how to reach each other and get back together if separated. Visit ready.gov/make-a-plan for communication plan resources.

Every state in FEMA Region VIII has shown support for America’s PrepareAthon! this spring by aligning a variety of preparedness activities with the campaign. The National Weather Service in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming held statewide tornado drills to prepare residents for severe spring and summer weather; nearly one million Utahns participated in earthquake drills during the Great Utah ShakeOut; and communities throughout Colorado and Montana will hold wildfire preparedness events on May 2 for Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, an America’s PrepareAthon! partner event.

For more information about America’s PrepareAthon!, visit ready.gov/prepare. Follow America’s PrepareAthon! on Twitter using the handle @Prepareathon and #PrepareAthon.

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America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action Set for Thursday

60% of Americans Not Practicing for Disaster: FEMA urges everyone to prepare by participating in National PrepareAthon! Day on April 30

WASHINGTON – A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survey found that nearly 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster by participating in a disaster drill or preparedness exercise at work, school, or home in the past year. Further, only 39 percent of respondents have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. This is despite the fact that 80 percent of Americans live in counties that have been hit with a weather-related disaster since 2007, as reported by the Washington Post. With the number and severity of weather-related disasters on the rise, the America’s PrepareAthon! is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills, and exercises.

“When it comes to preparedness, practice makes perfect,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “America’s PrepareAthon! is about taking action now to better prepare yourself, your family, and your community to be ready to respond to these events before they occur.”

America’s PrepareAthon! is a national community-based campaign that provides free, easy-to-use guides, checklists, and resources to get more people to take action to prepare every day. On April 30, individuals, families, workplaces, schools and organizations will come together to practice simple actions to stay safe before, during, and after emergencies relevant to their area. Examples include:

Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone.
Develop an emergency communication plan for your family. This will help you be in touch if a disaster strikes and family members are in different locations.
Collect important documents and keep them in a safe place. This will help you evacuate without delay and get back on track after the disaster passes.
Gather emergency supplies. Pack a “go bag” to evacuate quickly and have supplies in the home to be safe without water or power.

Visit the America’s PrepareAthon! website, ready.gov/prepare to take action, be counted and spread the word.

America’s PrepareAthon! was established to provide a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness as directed by Presidential Policy Directive-8. The campaign is coordinated by FEMA in collaboration with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations.

60% of Americans Not Practicing for Disaster: FEMA urges everyone to prepare by participating in National PrepareAthon! Day on April 30

FEMA Region III Promotes Action for America’s PrepareAthon!

PHILADELPHIA – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region III office in Philadelphia is encouraging the whole community to take action to prepare! It’s the end of National Preparedness Month and time to move from awareness to action on National PrepareAthon! Day, September 30th.

The Ready Campaign established four building blocks of preparedness − Be Informed, Make a Plan, Build a Kit and Get Involved − and raised awareness about the importance of preparing. America’s PrepareAthon! builds on this foundation by adding a focused national call to action for individuals and organizations to take simple, specific actions to increase their preparedness for a potential disaster.

“Anyone and everyone can make the choice to be informed and be better prepared,” said FEMA Region III Administrator MaryAnn Tierney, “We encourage everyone to simply take action – any action – to better prepare yourself, your family and your community.”

FEMA Region III has been working and supporting many organizations that will be taking action for America’s PrepareAthon! and on National PrepareAthon Day! Below are highlights of only a few of the many events occurring around the region.

Louisa County Virginia’s PrepareAthon! TAKE ACTION AGAINST EARTHQUAKES! Louisa County (VA) Public Schools is leading the PrepareAthon action by having 6 schools take part in a preparedness drill on the 30th. The main event will be at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School with school wide earthquake dill with FEMA staff during the day. In addition, the county Administration Building and Fire and EMS will be involved and participate in drills. Over 5,600 students and staff will be participating in a drill for Louisa County’s PrepareAthon!
Delaware’s PrepareAthon! TAKE ACTION AGAINST FLOODS on September 20th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., take action against flooding at the Fall in to Action Community Preparedness Day in Dover, Delaware. Residents can learn about flooding and protective measures in addition to the numerous organizations that will provide fun, food, and preparedness activities for the whole family.
Marion County West Virginia’s PrepareAthon!

TAKE ACTION AGAINST WINTER WEATHER

on September 27th from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the

M arion County Preparedness Expo

hosted by the Greater Fairmont (WV) Council of Churches. Over 40 organizations will be participating to help the families increase their preparedness. Additionally on September 26th, the Small Business Administration will be conducting a workshop for local small businesses to increase their preparedness to support Marion’s PrepareAthon! You can sign-up at

SBA.gov/content/sba-score-host-disaster-workshop-fairmont

.
National Capital Region’s PrepareAthon! SIGN-UP FOR ALERTS AND HOLD A DILL on September 30th. Led by Brookfield Properties, private sector businesses in the greater Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland will be encouraged to participate in a drill to help increase their individual preparedness. Sixteen Commercial Real Estate companies and other organizations have committed their employees to participate in National Capital Region’s PrepareAthon!, at Brookfield Properties; over 6,140 employees and tenants will be taking action by holding drills and signing up for alerts.
Team Rubicon’s PrepareAthon!

TEST YOUR PLANS!

From September 17th – 20th Team Rubicon will be in Philadelphia, PA testing their ability to activate and communicate for a 3 day event. While they are working to build six homes in three days, they will be exercising their command structure and ability to respond quickly and affectivity to a disaster. Anyone can

Join Team Rubicon

and help spread the word.
Amtrak’s PrepareAthon! SIGN-UP FOR ALERTS! On September 30th at their Harrisburg, PA station, Amtrak will be encouraging train riders to sign up for emergency alerts and download the FEMA App. Look for FEMA staff at the train station to talk about alerts and other great ways to get prepared.

Want to join and take action on September 30th ? Here are some simple ways you can get involved:

Fill out a

Family Communication Plan
Download the

FEMA App
Sign-up for

Community Alerts
Take steps to protect your

critical documents
Hold a

preparedness dill

at home or in your workplace

Learn more and register your actions at Ready.gov/prepare to be join the 14.5 million taking action for America’s PrepareAthon!

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

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FEMA Region III Promotes Action for America’s PrepareAthon!

FEMA Encourages Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

America’s PrepareAthon! Campaign Offers Simple, Specific Actions Americans Should Know and Practice to Prepare For a Disaster in their Community

WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) encourages individuals, families, workplaces, schools and organizations across the nation to take part in America’s PrepareAthon!, a national day of action that will take place September 30. America’s PrepareAthon! is a community-based campaign to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through participation in hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises every fall and spring. To register, individuals and organizations can visit www.ready.gov/prepare.

According to a recent survey conducted by FEMA, 50 percent of Americans have not discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise, aside from a fire drill at their workplace, school or home in the past two years.

“Disasters can strike anytime and anywhere,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “America’s PrepareAthon! is about practicing what to do in an emergency with enough regularity so that it becomes second nature when the real disaster actually happens.”

To encourage more Americans to prepare and practice, the campaign offers easy-to-implement preparedness guides, checklists and resources. These tools help individuals, organizations and entire communities practice the simple, specific actions they can take for the emergencies disasters relevant to their area. Examples include:

Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone. Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how to search for local alerts and weather apps relevant for hazards that affect your area.
Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place. Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit www.ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
Create an emergency supply kit. Bad weather can become dangerous very quickly. Be prepared by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit www.ready.gov/kit for more ideas of what to include in your kit.
Develop an emergency communication plan for your family. It’s possible that your family will be in different locations when a disaster strikes. Come up with a plan so everyone knows how to reach each other and get back together if separated. Visit http://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for communication plan resources.

Managed and sponsored by the Ready Campaign each September, National Preparedness Month is designed to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses and places of worship, culminating with the National Day of Action. America’s PrepareAthon! was established to provide a comprehensive campaign to build and sustain national preparedness as directed in Presidential Policy Directive-8. The campaign is coordinated by FEMA in collaboration with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations.

More information about America’s PrepareAthon!, including how to register, is available at ready.gov/prepare.

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FEMA Encourages Communities to Participate in National PrepareAthon! Day

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