One More Thing on Preparedness

So yes, September is over. And as the leaves change and the pumpkin patches are stocked up, you'd probably expect us to stop talking about National Preparedness Month. I mean, after all, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, right?

Well, preparedness is a subject that we at the department care a lot about. The Secretary has outlined it as one of the department's five responsibilities, and we've even got an entire month on the calendar devoted to it.

So, as we ask you to stand up and ask "What's Our Plan?", the Secretary thought it important to lead by example. The Secretary and her senior staff participated in a Red Cross preparedness training a while back, and we've got some video from that day to share with you. As Americans, we must count on each other to be ready for whatever comes our way. It's our shared responsibility, and the American way of life depends on each of us doing our part to be ready for a hurricane, a tornado, an earthquake, or something man made. Take a look at the video below, and you can visit the American Red Cross for more information on setting up a training for your school, church, or place of business.

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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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What's Our Plan?

We’ve harped on it for 29 days - September is National Preparedness Month. We’ve directed you to ready.gov, provided tips on how to be prepared and stay informed, and asked you more than once to cough into your sleeve.

No one likes to spend that much time thinking about what could happen – be it a natural disaster or otherwise – but the steps you take to prepare for the unthinkable can make the difference for your place of business, your school, and especially your home. And, it’s the American way: being ready and resilient has helped our nation surmount its biggest challenges for two centuries.

So as National Preparedness Month comes to a close, the Secretary has one more request of you: ask a question. Stand up at school, or at work, or at home, and ask, “What’s our plan?”

The Secretary will deliver a speech at The American Red Cross National Headquarters this afternoon at 2:15 PM EDT on preparedness, and wants to make one final pitch to the American public during the month of September. Bring it up the next time you attend a meeting at your child’s high school, or at church, or around the dinner table. This is a shared responsibility, and we all have a role to play in building a culture where these questions, and this dialogue, are commonplace.

Watch the speech LIVE at http://www.dhs.gov/ starting at 2:15 PM EDT.

Then visit ready.gov to learn more.

Family Preparedness

Throughout September, National Preparedness Month, the department has called on the American people to play a role in our nation’s preparedness. To further that goal, DHS is carrying this message specifically to parents and families.

Take some time today to visit our family preparedness website. Here you can learn about resources designed specifically to help families learn how to prepare their homes and families for emergencies.

www.dhs.gov/families

You can also sign up for a weekly e-mail to stay informed about pressing issues and new tools to keep you prepared. Sign up today.

"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.

Be Ready

Secretary Napolitano was in New York today to introduce a series of new public service advertisement (PSAs) produced for the Ready Campaign. The Ready Campaign's mission is to inform and educate the public on how to best prepare for a major disaster, emphasizing three basic steps every American can take:

1. Put together an emergency supply kit.
2. Make a family emergency plan.
3. Get informed about the types of emergencies that could take place in their communities and appropriate responses.

The Secretary delivered remarks during the press conference:

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility that begins with the American people,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These public service advertisements highlight the simple steps everyone can take to prepare for disasters, enhancing the safety and security of our country.”

Secretary Napolitano unveiled the new PSAs at an event in New York City’s Times Square, joined by New York City Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Bruno, American Red Cross President and CEO Gail McGovern, American Red Cross of Greater New York CEO Theresa Bischoff and Ad Council President and CEO Peggy Conlon.

You can watch the new PSAs by clicking the picture below:

White House Meeting on H1N1 Preparedness

The Secretary participated in a briefing at the White House today on H1N1 preparedness with President Obama, other cabinet secretaries, and White House officials. After the meeting, President Obama was joined by the cabinet secretaries in the Rose Garden and he talked about their meeting, which was focused on the importance of public preparation for H1N1 as we head into flu season.

President Obama:

As I said when we saw the first cases of this virus back in the spring, I don't want anybody to be alarmed, but I do want everybody to be prepared. We know that we usually get a second, larger wave of these flu viruses in the fall, and so response plans have been put in place across all levels of government. Our plans and decisions are based on the best scientific information available, and as the situation changes, we will continue to update the public.

We're also making steady progress on developing a safe and effective H1N1 flu vaccine, and we expect a flu shot program will begin soon. This program will be completely voluntary, but it will be strongly recommended.

For all that we do in the federal government, however, every American has a role to play in responding to this virus. We need state and local governments on the front lines to make antiviral medications and vaccines available, and be ready to take whatever steps are necessary to support the health care system. We need hospitals and health care providers to continue preparing for an increased patient load, and to take steps to protect health care workers. We need families and businesses to ensure that they have plans in place if a family member, a child, or a co-worker contracts the flu and needs to stay home.

And most importantly we need everyone to get informed about individual risk factors, and we need everyone to take the common-sense steps that we know can make a difference. Stay home if you're sick. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve, not your hands. And take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy. I know it sounds simple, but it's important and it works.

The government recently released updated guidance for businesses and schools, and flu.gov will continue to be a great resource for individuals in advance of flu season. September, as we posted on earlier today, is National Preparedness Month, and every American shares a responsibility to be ready for H1N1 this fall.

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