National PrepareAthon Day! is April 30 Published April 27, 2016 By Daniel Jackson Readiness and Emergency Management Flight HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Are you and your family prepared if disaster strikes? America's PrepareAthon! is a grassroots campaign with the goal of generating awareness and participation in emergency preparedness around the country. April 30 is the campaign's day of action; a day to spend time ensuring each household is ready when disaster comes. From a powerful summer hurricane, to a frigid winter blizzard, taking steps beforehand to reduce risk and ensure recovery is imperative to the security of any household. There are steps members of the Hanscom community can take to increase their family's resiliency. Among them is assembling or updating a family emergency supply kit. Each kit should include enough supplies for the household to last 72 hours. Items such as bottled water, non-perishable foods, flashlights, batteries and a radio are standard, but each kit can be customized to fit the family's needs. In addition, families should protect critical documents and valuables. When disaster strikes, the immediate concern will be the safety of those we care about. Once the immediate danger passes, however, having financial and medical records and important contact information will be crucial to help start the recovery process. Before an emergency happens, have a family discussion to determine who will be the out-of-state point of contact, and where to meet away from the home -- both in the neighborhood and within your town. Consider insurance options. Disasters such as floods can be devastating. To reduce the overall loss, obtaining appropriate insurance can help relieve the burdens that disaster brings. Review your current policy, and/or look into acquiring insurance for catastrophes not already covered. Visit https://community.fema.gov/take-action/activities for related information, resources and more. No time to fit preparedness activities into your April 30 schedule? Members of the community can also visit http://www.beready.af.mil/ in order to ensure every member of your family is ready for the hazards that may come. For further information on preparing for a natural disaster or other contingency event that may affect the region or the installation, or if in need of assistance or advice on assembling an emergency kit or drafting a family plan, contact the Hanscom Readiness Emergency Management Flight at 781-225-5919 or 781-225-5921.