National Preparedness Month

Some in the preparedness community believe that they are at loggerheads with the government. The United States, however, has a pro-preparedness stance and a valuable website in . Ready.gov has officially declared September to be National Preparedness Month and September 30th to be “National PrepareAthon Day”.

 
The declaration states: “This year we are asking you to take action now – make a plan with your community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. We ask everyone to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! and the national day of action, National PrepareAthon! Day, which culminates National Preparedness Month on September 30.”

 
We strongly support this initiative. This is the time when people everywhere should make an account of what they have done to prepare for disasters that may loom in the uncertain future. Whether you are concerned about an economic collapse, an increasing hostile and unstable international environment, or just the next severe storm, you should seriously evaluate how you would fare in the face of disaster.

 
It has been shown that the average family has about 3 days’ worth of food and supplies in their storage. Few have learned the lessons of Hurricane Katrina, when many thousands of people found themselves without food, clean water and access to emergency medical care. Yet, disasters happen, and it is just common sense to have what you need to keep it together, even when everything else falls apart.

 
We encourage you to stock up on non-perishable food, clean water, and medical supplies that would be essential in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Perhaps you won’t be affected by one this year, but what about next year, or during the course of your lifetime? Your children’s lifetime?

 
Emergencies come in many forms, from house fires to floods to windstorms. A practical plan to respond to these events is the responsibility of every citizen. Indeed, the safety of their family and the welfare of their community depends on it. This month, put some effort into developing that plan and obtaining the items that will help you implement it.

 
It’s time to develop a culture of preparedness and instill it in each generation. Don’t do this out of desperation, fear, or paranoia: Do this in order to build a nation that will be resilient in the face of adversity. Your ancestors had this resiliency. Some of us may have lost it somewhere along the way, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it back.

 
This year, Ready.gov has put together weekly themes to concentrate on. They are:

 
• Week 1: September 1-5th Flood
• Week 2: September 6-12th Wildfire
• Week 3: September 13-19th Hurricane
• Week 4: September 20-26th Power Outage
• Week 5: September 27-30th Lead up to National PrepareAthon! Day (September 30th )

 
You’ll find a number of articles on some of the above events and medical preparedness in general at our website at www.doomandbloom.net. For more information on what you can do to be ready for any disaster, check out Ready.gov and the hundreds of great preparedness websites on the internet.

 

Joe Alton, MD and Amy Alton, ARNP

 

from Prepper Daily News http://ift.tt/1Jz8zbt
via Daily Prepper News