Whew! We dodged the spring storm season without many weather-related incidents. So, we are safe now, right?

Who knows, national and state safety officials say. The occurrence of natural and man-made disasters is inevitable. It is also unpredictable.

We know they will happen, but when, how severe, and where we’ll be when they occur, are often the biggest and most unnerving unknowns. 

So, National Preparedness Month - observed every year in September – serves as a reminder that everyone must take action to prepare for the types of emergencies that can affect us. It enables us to take yet another step, big or small, from simply existing in an environment of planned activities, events, and to-dos, to proactively preparing to survive and thrive after an unplanned emergency. 

This year, FEMA through its national Ready Campaign, will promote the theme “Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare” by highlighting specific actions individuals and groups can take to prepare for an emergency. These actions center around four weekly themes or blocks of emergency preparedness: 

Week 1: how to reconnect with family after a disaster 

Week 2: how to plan for specific needs before a disaster 

Week 3: how to build an emergency kit 

Week 4: how to practice for an emergency 

Sounds fairly simple right? However, results from FEMA’s nation-wide survey conducted earlier this year found that fifty percent (50 percent) of Americans haven’t discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members detailing what to do and how to reunite in the event of a disaster. 

  During Preparedness Month, the Kansas Division of Emergency Management is reminding the public to take part in its monthly online “Preparedness Challenge” at www.ksready.gov .  Additional information on emergency kits and family preparedness can be found at www.ksready.gov; www.redcross.org and www.ready.gov.

Take time to be prepared.

Dale Hogg