HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Emergency management personnel here will observe National Preparedness Month throughout September with the 2019 theme of “Prepared, Not Scared. Be Ready for Disasters.”
Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, the 15th annual campaign will feature weekly themes such as “Save Early for Disaster Costs” and “Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters” in an effort to encourage members of the Air Force community to establish emergency plans with their families.
“The idea of planning for disasters can be very scary, especially with so many unknowns,” said Dan Jackson, 66th Civil Engineering Division emergency management program specialist. “If you plan for it, practice it and know you’re ready, it can take a lot of that fear and stress away.”
The emergency management team is also encouraging community members to look into the Air Force “Be Ready” awareness campaign, which includes helpful tips on how to create an emergency supply kit, developing an emergency family plan as well as information on how to become a partner of preparedness in the community. People can download the Air Force “Be Ready” mobile app, visit the official website at www.ready.gov or contact the Hanscom Emergency Management team at 781-225-5921 for more information.
“The overall goal of ’Be Ready’ is to ensure our community has the knowledge to prepare for, respond to and recover from any emergency or disaster," said David Bilodeau, 66 CED installation emergency manager.
An emergency preparedness information display is slated for Sept. 17 at the Hanscom Exchange from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where individuals can pick up free disaster guides and speak to emergency managers on how to respond to both natural and man-made disasters.
To teach kids about the importance of preparedness, Jackson encourages people to bring their children into the emergency planning process by sitting down with them and running through examples of disasters, and developing a plan that works for the family as a whole.
“We don’t want there to be a sense of fear or intimidation around preparing for the worst,” he said. “Coming together to look at the booklets and guides, or filling out an emergency plan is a great first step. Knowledge is power.”