National Preparedness Month

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Megan E. Acs
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  September is National Preparedness Month, which promotes the importance of the country's ability to respond swiftly to emergencies of any kind, at any moment.

Declared as an officially recognized month in 2007 by former President George W. Bush, National Preparedness Month began due to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Preparedness encompasses a wide range of incidents including but not limited to terrorist attacks, civil unrest, accidents and natural disasters.

Preparedness kits are recommended and should be tailored to a family's home specific needs.

"There are plenty of items to add to a kit, but a start is to have enough nonperishable food and water for three days per person, as well as a blanket, a first aid kit, batteries, a crank or battery powered radio and flashlight," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Aaron Morris, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of plans and operations.

"Households with small children should prepare to have any medications they need, food and water. If they have formula or baby food, you need to make sure you keep rotating it out," said Morris. "If you have anyone with special needs, or if you have an older person on medication, you need to keep those medications rotating out as well because medication does have an expiration date."

These emergency kits should be located in a designated room that the family would shelter in, for ease of access, stated Morris. "It should be the inner most room, on the first floor, away from windows and outer walls and away from items that can fall. Typically, bathrooms and closets are good places to be."

"While being prepared for a tornado may sound like common sense here in Oklahoma, it's not necessarily common to those who come here from other places. This is especially true of people in the military," said Morris.

"You're taking people out of their element and what they're used to." said Morris. "What's common sense to you and where you're from may not be common sense to a person from New York City, California, Washington or Florida."

For more information about preparation visit http://www.ready.gov/,  http://www.fema.gov/, or http://www.redcross.org/prepare/nationalpreparednessmonth.