EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, California —
September is National Preparedness Month! National Preparedness Month, held each September, is observed to improve disaster preparedness and raise awareness of the importance of being prepared. Disasters can strike at any time and with little to no warning. There are many ways to prepare for disasters. Having gear, making plans, and being informed are great places to start.
When disaster strikes, you can sometimes go days without resources like food, water, and electricity. A kit filled with accessories can be life-saving.
Each kit should contain enough non-perishable food and water for each person (one gallon per person per day) for at least three days. Some items to include in your kit are:
*Medications
*Battery operated or hand cranked emergency weather radio
* Flashlights
*First aid kit
*Cash and important documents
Having a plan and practicing it regularly can save time, reduce stress, and avoid confusion. Create a plan with all members of your family to:
*Multiple evacuation routes from your home or from places you frequently visit,
*A place to meet when disaster strikes when your family is separated
- A family communication plan or who to contact afterwards to say you are safe
- Picking a person who lives out of town and using text messaging instead of a phone call can increase the likelihood of reaching them in a disaster.
Regular practice of your plan will turn it into “muscle memory” and reduce confusion in a disaster.
Preparedness for emergencies is vital, but if you don’t know when a disaster will strike, it can be in vain. Sign up for emergency notifications ahead of a disaster to prepare you and your family to take last-minute action or get your contingency plan underway.
*Ensure your phone can receive wireless emergency notifications in its settings by enabling “Government notifications” or “Emergency notifications”.
*You can receive weather and emergency alerts and access resources by downloading the FEMA Mobile App
*The Air Force Be Ready app provides many resources for preparation and allows you to save your family plan
*By making sure your AtHoc is up to date for the whole family, you’ll stay up to date with what’s happening at Edwards AFB
We encourage you to prepare with us this September! Click on any of the hyperlinks to learn more about each topic and questions can be sent to the Edwards AFB Office of Emergency Management.
