September is National Preparedness Month, and each week
there is a different theme. The first week is Make and Practice Your Plan.
It is important to ensure that you are prepared in case
there is an emergency. Last week, Hurricane Florence made landfall on the east
coast. This serves as a reminder to stay informed and prepared.
An emergency event can occur at any time. It includes, but
is not limited to, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and wildfires. These events can
occur at any time— sometimes unexpectedly.
Every home should have an emergency preparedness kit with inexpensive
and essential items that you should have prepared and ready to go in a moment’s
notice.
According to Ready.gov, these items can include water, non-perishable
food, a can opener, flashlights, batteries, extra phone chargers, medicine, pet
supplies and diapers.
It is also important to establish a safe meet-up destination
for family members to go to when an emergency occurs so they know you are okay.
Plans should be created and practiced to ensure that everyone knows what to do
in an emergency situation.
The theme of the second week is learn life-saving skills,
which include Take Ten, Stop the Bleed or attend a CERT (Community Emergency
Response Team) class. This would allow
people to learn skills that may be essential to saving others that find
themselves in dire situations.
The theme of the third week is to check your coverage. It is
important to review what your insurance policies cover. Ready.gov will explain
the importance of flood insurance and it will also let you know how to document
your property.
The theme of the fourth week is save for an emergency; it is
important to have some money easily accessible.
For more information visit ready.gov.