Prepare yourself...for this video

We promised yesterday that we'd post video of the Secretary's preparedness and resiliency speech. Check it out below.

The full transcript is also available.

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"Be Prepared"

Secretary Napolitano was was joined by Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Kathy Cloninger at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, MD this afternoon to debut a new Girl Scout preparedness patch. The preparedness patch program, developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ,was designed to help Girl Scouts and their families interact and engage on the issue of personal preparedness.

Some of the activities required to achieve the patch include:

• Identifying and preparing for potential emergencies
• Learning about local alerts and warning systems
• Engaging in community service

The Secretary remarked:

“This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country’s readiness for disasters,” said Secretary Napolitano. “As a former Girl Scout, I know the ‘Be Prepared’ motto well—and I look forward to working with the Girl Scouts to spread the preparedness message to all of our nation’s citizens.”

The Secretary also took the opportunity to announce a new partnership between the department's Citizen Corps and the Girl Scouts to advance community preparedness nationwide. The two organizations will work together to encourage young women to become community leaders in emergency management and response fields and to raise public awareness about personal preparedness, training and community service opportunities.

The Secretary also participated in President Obama’s My Education, My Future initiative while at the school, by visiting students and listening to the President’s remarks encouraging them to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their education.

Check out the Citizen Corps website for more information about preparing your community for all hazards, and ready.gov for information about preparing your family.

National Preparedness Month

Check out the Secretary's White House Blog post from this morning about National Preparedness Month.

Building a Ready and Resilient Nation

Today marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month, an opportunity for our nation’s families and communities to discuss their plans if they were faced with an emergency.

Protecting the United States from threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious diseases is a shared responsibility and everyone has an important role to play.

This effort starts in our own communities. By talking to your neighbors, friends and family about citizen preparedness – during September and beyond – we can build a culture where shared responsibility for preventing and responding to emergencies is every bit as common as planning for retirement or keeping your car and home in good repair.

For more information about emergency planning, visit www.ready.gov or the Spanish-language site, www.listo.gov.

Individuals can also help by learning a skill like CPR, or volunteering in their community through a local Citizen Corps council.

We look forward to sharing additional ideas and information here, and at DHS.gov throughout the month of September to help all Americans become better prepared for – and more resilient to – emergencies of all kinds.

Janet Napolitano
Secretary