September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month and the Governor’s Office of Community Service encourages all Montanans to take time to make sure that their families, neighborhoods, and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all types. The initiative, now in its ninth year, is a month-long effort hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps.

Preparing can start with four important, easy steps:

1. Build an emergency supply kit that can sustain your family for at least three days.

2. Make an emergency and communications plan for your family.

3. Be informed about emergencies that may happen in your community and identify sources of information that will be helpful before, during, and after an emergency.

4. Get involved by locating volunteer opportunities and identifying ways that you are able to help those in need during and after a disaster.

Preparedness is both a personal and shared responsibility; it takes a whole community. According to Governor Steve Bullock, “Montana is a great place to live, but we’re not immune from unpredictable weather and other challenges. Montana families should be prepared, so that in the event of an emergency we’re able to pull together and overcome anything that comes our way.”

Montanans can participate in National Preparedness Month by hosting a Neighborhood Preparedness Party in their area. By hosting a Neighborhood Preparedness Party, you can bring together your neighbors to ensure that everyone is disaster ready.

Emergency supply starter kits along with additional emergency preparedness resources are available from the Governor’s Office of Community Service. To learn more about how to host a Neighborhood Preparedness Party, visit serve.mt.gov. To learn about additional preparedness training opportunities through the American Red Cross of Montana, visit http://www.redcross.org/montana or call 1-800-ARC-MONT.

The Governor’s Office of Community Service expands and promotes national service and volunteerism in Montana and engages citizens in service and emergency preparedness.