September is National Preparedness Month, and the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is undertaking a month-long outreach campaign to help people and businesses prepare for severe weather and other emergencies.
“Disasters can happen anytime or anywhere and the best thing you can do for you and your family is to be prepared.” says EMA Director Spencer Hawkins. “We’re asking you to take action now and make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets so you can stay safe and communicate during and after a disaster.”
Each week during September, the EMA will focus on a different aspect of disaster preparedness and how people can prepare.
September 3-9: Making emergency plans
September 10-16: Getting involved
September 17-23: Building a kit
September 24-30: Staying informed
Throughout the month, the EMA will post safety tips on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Follow their pages and share the statuses each day to help people prepare their homes, children, pets, and businesses. Keep following both pages throughout the year for information about severe weather and other safety tips.
With the assistance of MaconBibbTV, a short video has been produced highlighting these important preparedness steps. To watch the video, click here. Also, EMA has redesigned its website to include more emergency preparedness and disaster relief information. Please share these across your social media accounts to help educate everyone on disaster preparedness.
The EMA is also available to make presentations to your school, community, or civic group about the importance of preparing for severe weather. They can walk the group through writing a family emergency and communication plan, as well as what should be included in a disaster kit. To schedule a presentation, call 478-832-6300 or email EMA@maconbibb.us.
National Preparedness Month (NPM) began in 2004, sponsored by FEMA in an effort to engage all Americans in emergency preparedness. This is accomplished through FEMA’s Ready.gov campaign and partnerships with state and local emergency management agencies. This campaign encourages everyone to take steps to be more prepared where they spend their time, such as work, school, home, and throughout their communities.
About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks, and other large-scale emergencies. Its aim is to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency
Ready Georgia promotes three key steps to readiness: be informed about potential threats and protective measures to take in emergency situations; make a plan for communicating and reconnecting with family members if you are separated during an emergency; and build a kit of emergency supplies that allows you and your family to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours following a disaster.
For more information, visit www.ready.ga.gov, download the Ready Georgia mobile app, or visit them on Facebook or YouTube to get prepared and stay up to date on weather conditions.