National Preparedness Month 2009: Event Review

September 2009 was the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM). This year, the Ready Campaign helped Americans understand that preparedness goes beyond fire alarms, smoke detectors, dead-bolt locks and extra food in the pantry to change perceptions about emergency preparedness and help Americans understand what it truly means to be "Ready." Nearly 2,700 organizations joined the Ready Campaign in promoting this message across the country in homes, schools, businesses, and communities. Below you find highlights of a sampling of events that were held throughout the country.

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• CERT Training Exercise - Nassau County, NY
• Emergency Preparedness Day - Lehigh County, PA
• Ready Colorado "Preparedness on a Budget" - Colorado
• Ready Georgia, Essay Contest - Georgia
• The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars - Fort Lewis, WA

CERT Training Exercise

On September 13, 2009 Nassau County CERT held its third annual training and exercise drill. Participants included representatives from Nassau Country American Red Cross, ARES, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), and Medical Services as well as Suffolk County CERT, Westchester County MRC and New York City CERT. Local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) played the victim roles.

The exercise scenario involved a category three hurricane hitting Nassau County, Long Island, with severe storm damage in the area. Nassau County CERT was activated and deployed as a response to this disaster. Volunteers signed in and were assigned to teams, each with a designated Team Leader. The teams navigated through a number of stations. Their skills were tested in fire suppression, searching lightly damaged buildings and evacuating occupants and injured persons, conducting triage and preparing them for transport by emergency medical services, and supporting the American Red Cross in setting up and running a shelter. A commodities Point of Distribution (POD) operation was established and the staging area was incorporated into the exercise. The directing of the CERT teams and the victims flow was conducted by CERT, from an Incident Command Post, under the direction of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, who was in charge of coordinating the County’s overall response to the storm.

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Emergency Preparedness Day - Lehigh County, PA

As part of NPM, Lehigh County Citizen Corps developed numerous partnerships resulting in multiple events, activities, and trainings for volunteers and for the public.

In a private-public partnership with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Minor League Baseball Team, Lehigh County Citizen Corps and its partners hosted the Iron Pigs Community Safety Day at an Iron Pigs game. Pamphlets and brochures on citizen preparedness were available for patrons of the event. In addition, Citizen Corps, CERT, and Allentown Health Bureau personnel were available to answer questions on the importance of these programs to the county and communities in the Lehigh Valley.

Upper Macungie Township, in coordination with Lehigh County Citizen Corps and Emergency Services and various other community partners, sponsored a Health and Safety Fair. There were demonstrations, displays, and emergency preparedness information available on all types of hazards.

As part of the Get Ready 2009 Autumn Academy, the Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) hosted a 3-Dimensional Table Top Drill and several Psychological First Aid trainings. Teams problem solved and worked together during a "critical event" in an environment that rehearsed coordination, command, communications and interoperability.

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Ready Colorado "Preparedness on a Budget" - Colorado

During NPM, Ready Colorado developed an awareness campaign to encourage the public to get prepared by building their emergency supply kit. They wanted this campaign to be current and relevant, so they decided to on a "Preparedness on a Budget" promotion. Using the theme of 72 hours for $72, this campaign targeted adults age 18 and older of all income levels throughout Colorado. The local Denver CBS affiliated promoted this effect with a contest for viewers to post video or photos of their 72-hour kits on the station's website. As part of the TV campaign, Ready Colorado bought $28,000 (using UASI funds) worth of advertising space. This got them 96 spots and additional ($35,000 worth) promotion through the CBS affiliate. The CBS 4 meteorologist served as the spokesman. An electronic newsletter with an emphasis on Being Ready on a Budget was distributed, and campaign artwork for flyers, posters, and emails were distributed to 9 all-hazard regions for promotions in their individual counties.

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Ready Georgia, Essay Contest

Ready Georgia asked fifth-grade students across the state to recognize NPM with a creative art and essay contest about preparing for the unexpected. The contest theme was "Get Ready Georgia," and students were encouraged to draw upon their personal experiences of how their families have already prepared for an emergency or how they plan to prepare. Students can produce original artwork that portrays one or more of the steps of emergency preparedness, or write an essay of 500 words or less that describes the steps for emergency preparedness and why it is important. Children and their parents are encouraged to visit www.ready.ga.gov together to learn more about the three simple steps it takes to be ready – create a Ready kit, develop a family communications plan and stay informed about potential local threats– and use what they learn to create their entry. Three judges from across the state reviewed the entries and selected winners in October, prizes included a Ready kit donated by sponsor The Home Depot, a Disney DVD and CD prize pack donated by Radio Disney and a glow-in-the-dark star kit donated by Imagine it! The Children's Museum of Atlanta

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The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars - Fort Lewis, WA

On September 1, 2009 the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of Washington, presented 500 3-Day Emergency Preparedness Kits, carrying a 5-year shelf life, to Army junior enlisted personnel and their immediate family members stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. Supporters of the LA-VFW Project Protect Program in attendance at the event included the First Gentleman of Washington State, Mike Gregoire, FEMA- DHS Region 10 Community Preparedness Officer, Fred Bretsch, Citizen Corps Coordinator - Denise Mack, and Puyallup Indian Tribal Council Vice- Chairman, Bill Sterud. The mission of this program was to provide valuable kits free of charge to all junior enlisted armed forces in all branches of the military, including the National Guard and Reserves, through charitable donations and grants from entities interested in protecting those protecting America.

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