Fact Sheet: National Preparedness Month 2006

Release Date: August 31, 2006

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide coordinated effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is sponsoring National Preparedness Month 2006 which will focus on family emergency preparedness.

The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks and to encourage individuals to take action to prepare themselves and their families. The month provides Americans with a variety of opportunities to learn more about emergency preparedness. Events and activities across the nation will encourage individuals to get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, be informed about different threats, and get involved in preparing their communities.

DHS is working with a wide variety of organizations, including more than 1,150 national, regional, state and local organizations that form the National Preparedness Month Coalition, to highlight the importance of public emergency preparedness throughout September and beyond. The National Preparedness Month coalition members will disseminate emergency preparedness messages to their customers, members, employees, stakeholders and communities across the nation.

Below are a few examples of the types of activities and events that DHS and the National Preparedness Month 2006 coalition members are sponsoring this fall to engage Americans and increase our nation’s overall level of preparedness:

DHS, AARP, the American Red Cross, National Organization on Disability and National Fire Protection Association will release and distribute new emergency information for older Americans and individuals with disabilities and special needs.
On September 1, the State of Oklahoma will host a preparedness event for students and teachers at Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City. The event will include a school assembly where students will receive an interactive weather lesson and go on a scavenger hunt for items that belong in their emergency kit. The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security is also launching a first of its kind security grant program open to all public elementary schools in the state.
Wal-Mart is promoting personal and family emergency preparedness to its 1.4 million employees through multiple internal communication mediums and employee events. The company is also encouraging the 127 million customers that shop at their stores each week to prepare by featuring Ready Campaign public service advertisements and distributing preparedness information in its 3,800 stores across America.
The City of Los Angeles will host a series of emergency preparedness fairs in parks and malls across the Los Angeles area. More than 20 city departments will participate in demonstrations and interactive displays designed to encourage Los Angeleans to prepare for emergencies.
DHS, the Advertising Council and Radio Disney are promoting emergency preparedness to families in 33 cities through Radio Disney’s “Feelin’ Groovy” tour. The tour of 63 malls across the country features interactive events designed to bring health and safety messages to children and families.
On September 9, the Delaware Citizen Corps Council, City of Wilmington, American Red Cross of Delmarva and several state and local emergency management agencies will host Delaware’s Second Annual Family Emergency Preparedness Day at the Riverfront Stadium in Wilmington. The event will include family emergency preparedness demonstrations, displays and training classes.
The American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion will encourage their nearly four million members to prepare for emergencies by distributing information to their members and posts across the nation. The organizations highlighted National Preparedness Month in their publications, Web sites and events, including their National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah August 24 to 31.
The state of Kentucky will host a series of Business Preparedness Summits for private sector companies across the state. The events in Louisville, Lexington, Somerset, Fort Mitchell, Bowling Green and Mayfield will provide small and medium size businesses the information they need to be prepared for emergencies.

Throughout the year, DHS promotes individual emergency preparedness through the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps as part of a broader national effort conducted by the department’s Preparedness Directorate. Ready is a national public service advertising campaign produced by The Advertising Council that is designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. The campaign’s Web site (Ready.gov) and toll free number (1-800-BE-READY) provide Americans with free preparedness information. Citizen Corps, DHS’ grassroots effort, localizes preparedness messages and provides opportunities for citizens to get emergency response training; participate in community exercises; and volunteer to support local first responders. Two thousand Citizen Corps Councils are at work across the nation making their communities safer, stronger and better prepared.

This page was last reviewed/modified on August 31, 2006.