CHICAGO – September is National Preparedness Month and as we remember the tragic events of the September 11 terrorist attacks, FEMA Region V would like to remind everyone to make preparedness a priority. 

“We all want peace of mind knowing that our families, our homes and our businesses are safe and protected from threats of any kind,” said Andrew Velasquez III, regional administrator of FEMA’s office in Chicago. “Throughout the month of September we are encouraging the whole community – individuals, businesses, community organizations, faith-based groups, and state, local and tribal governments – to focus on preparing for all types of emergencies and disasters that may impact their communities.”

Preparing can start with three important steps:

• Put together your own personalized emergency supply kit
• Plan now so you know what do to before, during and after disaster strikes
• Be informed about specific hazards that could affect your community

Everyone should take responsibility for being prepared with the understanding that disasters may disrupt essential services.  Everyone should have sufficient supplies for at least three days.  Taking action now to prepare for emergencies and disasters will increase your chances of surviving and recovering from a disaster. 

It’s also important to remember you need to be prepared for all seasons. FEMA has many tools to help you plan, including videos and social media links. The following are just a few examples:

Winter is just around the corner, which can bring many types of unforeseen weather emergencies: www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/6746

Spring weather is always unpredictable. Severe storms, tornadoes and flooding can occur without much warning: www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/7626

In the summer, weather conditions may seem perfect for outside activities everyone must be aware of dangerous health issues related to extreme heat and high humidity: www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/8966

Most people spend a lot more time on the road than they realize so no matter what the season.  An emergency kit for your car should be part of your emergency plan:

www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/5546

For more information and ideas, log on to www.ready.gov. And remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest information: www.facebook.com/fema, www.twitter.com/fema.

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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.