The Army's strength is its Soldiers and the Families and Army civilians who support them. In today's era of persistent conflict and with the many hazards (both manmade and natural) that Families face each day, it is necessary to prepare Families with the tools they need to respond in case of a local emergency. Knowing that Families are prepared to respond should disaster strike will help Soldiers focus on the mission at hand, especially when deployed.
To that end, the Army has launched the "READY ARMY" program, born of the 9-11 tragedy that brought to keen focus the need for Families to know how to respond to terrorist attacks and other disasters.
"The increased threat of terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction and naturally occurring crises and disasters demonstrate the need for comprehensive preparedness efforts in advance of any emergency," said Col. Jeffrey S. Weissman, Aberdeen Proving Ground Garrison and deputy installation commander. "Readiness begins with awareness.All citizens, not just Soldiers, need to be well informed and prepared for emergencies."
Recent events such as the flooding and tornados in the Midwest and hurricane Katrina serve to point out that everyone must be ready for anything at anytime.
READY ARMY is a proactive, action oriented, campaign that emphasizes individual, Family and community hazard awareness and emergency preparedness. The Ready Army campaign supports the Army Family Covenant, the Soldier Family Action Plan and ongoing initiatives under the Army Medical Command.
While partnered and aligned with the Department of Homeland Security's national preparedness campaign called "Ready," Ready Army is specific to Army communities and is intended for use at the Army installation level.
A myriad of products have been developed to educate Soldiers, Families and civilians, by informing them about natural and man-made hazards and encouraging individual, Family and community emergency preparedness.
These materials include brochures, posters, emergency management kit information and readiness checklists, Family emergency management planning templates, an electronic media kit, children's activities, to include a poster contest by the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, displays in the Post Exchange and Commissary and Web-based tools.
Here at Aberdeen Proving Ground, leadership is taking strides to help everyone prepare for an emergency.
"In the Army we take care of each other," Weissman said. "Instituting emergency preparedness and education programs like Ready Army helps prepare the entire Army community for all hazards. A prepared community aids recovery."
APG kicked off the Ready Army campaign during the National Night Out Against Crime held Aug. 5. Emergency preparedness pamphlets, brochures and activity sheets were handed out, and children played an emergency preparedness game which taught them about the items required in an emergency supplies kit.
Since September is National Preparedness Month, the APG News will feature article(s) each week to help Families in this endeavor.
Look for articles on Family planning, preparing supply kits, protecting pets in an emergency, tips for power outages and sheltering-in-place guidelines. All the articles are available on the Ready Army Web site at https:www.us.army.mil/suite/page/464795.
Ready Army and disaster awareness material will be made available to all Soldiers, civilians and their Families so that they will have all the materials they need to keep them safe.
One such tool is a quiz on each household's workplace readiness quotient - a practical "gauge" to assess preparedness, recognize successes and identify gaps where more work needs to be done.
The following resources provide additional information about preparing for an emergency:
www.ready.gov
www.redcross.org
www.cdc.gov
www.fema.gov/plan
pandemicflu.gov
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