Deal announces participation in National Preparedness Month
Ready Georgia program encourages families to prepare for 72 hours of emergency needs
Gov. Nathan Deal, joined by Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Charley English, today announced Georgia’s participation in National Preparedness Month, which begins Sept. 1. As residents along the Georgia coastline brace for an increasingly active Atlantic hurricane season, and as other parts of the state continue to recover from the devastating spring tornadoes, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security’s Ready Georgia campaign is encouraging people to take simple, but important steps to help protect themselves and their families.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Ready America campaign, National Preparedness Month was founded after 9/11 to increase awareness and encourage action for emergency preparedness nationwide. Marking the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, the slogan of this year’s campaign is: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare."
“Doing your part to be ready means: preparing an emergency supplies kit. We want every Georgian to have at least 72 hours worth of critical supplies on hand at all times, creating an emergency communications plan with loved ones and staying informed about the potential threats in your area,” said Deal.
Throughout the month, Ready Georgia will join a nationwide coalition of thousands of private, public and nonprofit organizations, each hosting local events and initiatives designed to motivate people to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for natural and manmade disasters and emergencies of all kinds.
“A recent survey revealed that 64 percent of all Georgia households are now either somewhat or fully prepared with a Ready kit of emergency supplies and a communications plan in place; however, there is still progress to be made,” said Charley English, director of GEMA and Homeland Security. “National Preparedness Month serves as a good reminder that we all have a responsibility in protecting ourselves, our families and our communities. By acting on Ready Georgia’s simple message of ‘prepare, plan and stay informed,’ Georgians have the power to become their own first responders during emergency situations.”
Many groups have already committed to supporting the effort throughout the state. On Sept. 3, Ready Georgia is partnering with Home Depot stores statewide to bring the message of preparedness to thousands of families during The Home Depot’s monthly Kids Workshop. Georgia’s fifth-graders also have the chance to take part in National Preparedness Month by entering Ready Georgia’s annual art and essay contest, encouraging students to draw upon their personal experiences of how their families have already prepared for an emergency or how they plan to prepare. In addition, Ready Georgia is partnering with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta on a series of training sessions to help prepare them for any potential disaster and is working with Atlanta-based Hosea Feed The Hungry and Homeless, an international aid program, to help raise awareness of the importance of disaster preparedness among the low-income and homeless populations. More events from around the state can be found on the Ready Georgia website’s community calendar.
For more information on how to prepare, plan and stay informed, individuals and families can visit ready.ga.gov. By creating a Ready profile, Georgians can also receive a tailored plan for the entire family that includes the specific amount of supplies to put in their household Ready kits.
Preparedness is just a click away, and with September being National Preparedness Month, now is the best time to get Ready, Georgia.
About Ready Georgia
Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign that educates and empowers Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign. Ready Georgia prepares citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency through an integrated public service and uses an interactive website, online community toolkit, broadcast and print advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences. For more information visit ready.ga.gov, find Ready Georgia on Facebook at facebook.com/ReadyGA or on YouTube at youtube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA.