Would you be ready, if there were an emergency?
National Preparedness Month is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the importance of preparing for emergencies at home, at work and in the community.
The focus is encouraging Soldiers, civilians and Families to take actions toward emergency preparedness.
Taking action helps people feel confident and competent to deal with emergencies and disasters when they occur, and people who know what to do are more able to help others.
Be prepared: assemble an emergency supply kit, make your emergency plans, stay informed, and get involved in helping your Family, your department and your community be ready for emergencies.
The challenge for preparedness is in maximizing awareness and encouraging participation in disaster preparedness activities that affect change at the community level.
The goal is to transform awareness into action by encouraging all staff to take specific actions to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.
During National Preparedness Month, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital is pushing information to its staff, so that they are able to take appropriate action in the event of emergencies and disasters.
We're ready to help.
What can you do to take actions and be prepared for emergencies and disasters?
Have an emergency kit
Individual preparedness is a critical starting point in community and Family preparedness.
Individuals can take advantage of locally-offered first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automated external defibrillator training.
Once trained in basic life saving and emergency response techniques, making a kit with the necessary items are critical.
To properly prepare for emergencies within their area, create one or more emergency kits that include the supplies you need to meet essential needs, such as food, clothing, cash and prescriptions or special medical items, for at least three days.
These kits should be reusable. Keeping a kit at home, in the car and at work enables faster response to an emergency.
Have a plan
You should make and practice individual and Family emergency plans for the most likely incidents you could encounter within our area.
Everyone should consider the range of potential emergencies and locations that could be affected. Each emergency situation may necessitate a slightly -- or vastly -- different response.
Devise a communication plan that can be implemented in any situation, and when preparing for an emergency, plan for everyone in your Family.
Be sure to plan special preparations for disabilities and special needs.
It is also recommended to include arrangements for your pets, should you need to evacuate.
Seek communication methods that will allow family members to remain in contact during an emergency. This will aid in reducing fear and confusion.
The plan should answer the question of what your family should do if separated when a disaster strikes.
Be Informed
It is important to stay informed of the most likely disasters that could strike your specific location, and the necessary responses to these disasters.
Learn about emergency plans for the installation, schools and workplaces.
Know your neighbors and their special situations, such as mobility or transportation limitations.
Being informed includes getting a weather alert radio that receives messages from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Get Involved
Look into participating in community exercises and volunteering to support local first responders.
Contact your local Emergency Manager to learn more about activities, training and events to make communities safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to an emergency situation.
The strength of our staff comes, in large part, from the strength of their Families.
Preparedness increases the resilience of the Army and supports our community. It mitigates the effects of an emergency, aids recovery, and is a time and resource multiplier for our emergency first responders and medical first receivers.
It's up to you. Prepare strong. Get an emergency supply kit with enough supplies for at least three days, make an emergency plan with your Family, and be informed about what might happen.
(Editor's note: Mann is a readiness and security officer assigned to the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital.)
Where to Find Additional Information
• Ready Army at www.ready.army.mil
• American Red Cross--www.redcross.org
• Department of Homeland Security (Ready.gov)--www.ready.gov
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)--www.fema.gov
• Center for Disease Control (CDC)--www.bt.cdc.gov/preparedness/kit/disasters/
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