FORT RUCKER, Ala.--Beginning this month, Fort Rucker community members have at their fingertips, the tools to build a sound Family Emergency Plan, and in the process, achive peace of mind knowing that when disaster strikes, they will be Ready.

To coincide with the Department of Homeland Security's National Preparedness Month and Ready.gov program, Army's Department of Emergency Management launched the Ready Army emergency preparedness campaign themed "Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed." The program identifies the steps vital to emergency preparedness. These steps include getting an emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan, becoming informed about potential emergency situations, and getting involved in community preparedness and response efforts.

"National Preparedness Month is an important reminder about each American's civic responsibility to prepare for emergencies," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

"Those with the capacity and wherewithal to help themselves must do so in advance, so that in the event of an emergency, responders can first assist those who are unable to tend to themselves. From wildfires and earthquakes in California, to hurricanes and tropical storms along the Gulf Coast, to flooding in the Midwest, recent events remind us more than ever that we must prepare ourselves and our families for a disaster. This is the time, each year, when every American should ask the question, 'Am I ready''" he said.

Self-help information is available at Fort Rucker's post exchange and commissary, various displays and briefings, Picerne Military Housing offices, and can also be downloaded from the post's Ready Army page at http://www.rucker.army.mil/PAO/readyarmy.

Fort Rucker's Ready Army page offers a Readiness Quotient quiz-just 10 easy questions-to diagnose readiness levels and call attention to critical issues. After taking the quiz use the online tools to get Army Strong, Ready Army style.

Completing a Family Emergency Plan is the first step toward achieving a calm feeling of confidence when the unexpected occurs. The form is a user friendly tool that puts in writing family evacuation and communications procedures, out-of-town contact information, insurance policy numbers, and a checklist of important records to include in an emergency kit.

Checklists for various types of emergency preparedness kits are also available at the Ready Army page and in the campaign's Emergency Preparedness for the Army Community pamphlet.

Don't be caught in a panicky feeding frenzy the next time disaster strikes. Prepare now. Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.