Be Ready, Be Prepared

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. National Preparedness Month 2008 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action.

Here are a few steps that you can take right now to get prepared in case of an emergency:

Get a Kit - Get a kit of emergency supplies that will allow you and your family to survive for at least three days in the event an emergency happens. The kit should include basic items like water, food, battery-powered radio, flashlight and a first aid kit.

Make a Plan - Plan in advance what you and your family will do in an emergency. Your plan should include a communications plan and address sheltering-in-place and evacuation.

Be Informed - Learn more about different threats that could affect your community and appropriate responses to them.

Get Involved - After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step: get training in first aid and emergency response and get involved in preparing your community. Citizen Corps provides residents with opportunities to prepare, train and support local emergency responders. For more information or to get involved visit CitizenCorps.gov to find your local Citizen Corps council.

For a list of recommended supplies, plan templates, and additional information about preparing for disasters, visit Ready.gov. At this site, you can also learn about the emergency plans that have already been established in your area. Take some time to stay informed about how to react to even unlikely scenarios. You should be prepared to adapt this information to your personal circumstances and make every effort to follow instructions received from authorities on the scene

The very worst emergency plan is no plan. The next worse is two plans. ~Author Unknown

Kathy Jenkins is a Professional Organizer based in Richmond, VA. Through her business, Come To Order, she offers residential professional organizing services tailored to meet the specific needs of her clients, and operates a retail website for organizing products, Organized A To Z.com. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), Faithful Organizers, and Women Entrepreneurs of Virginia, and serves as marketing director of NAPO Richmond. You may contact her through her websites at www.cometoorderva.com and www.organizedatoz.com.