September Is National Preparedness Month - DC Is Ready! - Releases

(Washington, DC) – The District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) is proud to participate in the seventh annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) in September. Sponsored by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Advertising Council, NPM is a nationwide effort encouraging individuals, families, businesses, and communities to work together and take action to prepare for emergencies.

This year, NPM focuses on encouraging all Americans to take active steps toward getting involved and becoming prepared. Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. We have to work together, as a team, to ensure that individuals, families, and communities are ready. Individuals are encouraged to: make a family emergency plan; put together an emergency supply kit; be prepared to help your neighbor; and work as a team to keep everyone safe.

The District of Columbia is among more than 3,669 national, regional, state and local organizations that have joined the National Preparedness Month Coalition and pledged to sponsor events and activities to promote preparedness for their customers, members, employees, stakeholders and communities throughout the month of September. In honor of National Preparedness Month 2010, the District of Columbia has planned a range of preparedness activities focusing on all segments of the community.

Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, will start the ball rolling in the District with the Commander Ready Kick-off event on Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 8:30 am to 11:30 am, at the Ferebee-Hope Elementary School located at 3999 8th Street. This fun and exciting event will emphasize emergency preparedness and readiness to children in DCPS and other youth organizations. Also, this event will serve as the introduction and kick-off of Commander Ready for the 2010-2011 school year. Each student will prepare an emergency “Go Kit” and have a picture taken with Reggie and Rachel, the Commander Ready Team mascots.

In addition to the kick-off event, other highlights of District-sponsored Preparedness Month activities include:

A Clergy and Leadership Conference hosted by the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and Serve DC, on September 8, 2010 at Trinity University from 9 am to 1 pm. The Conference theme is “Readiness, Resources and Responsibilities – Preparing Communities for Emergencies.” The focal point of this conference is to share preparedness information with the faith-based community to ensure their congregations are ready when a disaster strikes the District.
An outreach fair targeting the business community at Farragut Square Park on September 9, 2010, featuring information about preparedness in the workplace, and
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Beat the Streets event held in the 7th District, 15th and U Street, SE. where officers will share preparedness information with residents in an effort to strengthen relations with the community and businesses.

In observance of Patriot’s Day, September 11, 2010 Serve DC is hosting the National Day of Service and Remembrance, a community expo highlighting resources available to veterans with a focus on housing, health, counseling, career development and emergency preparedness. Additional volunteer activities will include a clothing drive, and beautification and cleanup of the surrounding neighborhood. Patriots Day is a nationwide, Congressionally-endorsed effort to establish a long-term, meaningful and positive way to observe 9/11 each year. Initiated in 2003, the campaign has already engaged millions of Americans in acts of community service.

Throughout the month, HSEMA and other agencies will take part in NPM activities in a variety of venues, including a series of FEMA-sponsored preparedness fairs at federal government agencies and outreach activities sponsored by District churches, community groups and civic organizations.

Additionally, HSEMA’s training and exercise division will offer a range of training classes for District government first responder agencies. See the attached training calendar* for course titles, dates and registration information.

Persons seeking more information can call the DC Preparedness Month Information Line at (202) 481- 3000. A schedule of NPM events* is attached.