FORT RILEY, Kan. Aca,!" Stranded on the side of the road during a snow storm with a dead cell phone and no towns in sight isn't a situation anyone wants to find them self in. If it did happen, many questions might be running through the person's head. What do I do now' How will I stay warm' Will anyone stop for me'

The Ready Army campaign encourages people to get a kit, make a plan and be informed, and is designed to help people answer these questions before the situation occurs. During the week of Oct. 27 through 31, different activities throughout Fort Riley helped promote Ready Army.

"It's just to raise awareness on what things people should think about before something happens," said Ward Philips, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. "Get a kit together so if you are stuck in your house without services you have some things already there to get through it, or you have a kit to throw in your car to take somewhere if you have to go somewhere for shelter or to a friend's."
Materials also were handed out at the different schools on post during Ready Army Week. The materials included different activities to help teach children how to be safe before and during severe weather.

"I think the biggest advantage of targeting the kids is they are going to bug their parents about stuff - 'How come we don't have a kit' They said we have to have a kit,'" Philips said. "Kids are kind of like that. If they start thinking about something then they are going to go home and tell their mom and dad, 'We aren't doing this. We need to do this; they said it's important.' Whereas, if the parents are busy, it is easier for them to justify avoiding doing something extra because everyone is too busy."
During Ready Army Week, the Post Exchange had home emergency kits available for purchase. If someone was not able to purchase the kit during Ready Army Week, they can still find the items to fill a kit at the store.

Items that are recommended for kits can be found at the Ready Army Web site www.riley.army.mil/areainfo/readyarmy.aspx. Other information about making a Family emergency plan and staying informed during severe weather also is available on the site.

The goal of Ready Army is to help keep every person affiliated with Fort Riley safe during severe weather. On Oct. 31 every person who entered post was given a Fort Riley Ready Army tri-fold brochure, Philips said.

"It's for anyone who works or lives on post," Philips said. "We are going to make sure everyone who comes to work on Fort Riley is going to get a copy of (the brochure) when they come in. They can take that home and hopefully read through it and think about some of these things."

Even after Ready Army Week is over, Philips said, they will continue to inform people about how to stay safe during severe whether.

"We will have another Winter Weather Awareness Week. Again, we want that to be annual, sometime in the September or October timeframe," Philips said. "We are serious about our responsibility to help with that preparation."