This year’s hurricane season continues to stir up the occasional glance oceanward, but as flash floods, severe storms and wildfires cause devastation in other parts of the country, the time seems right to declare September National Preparedness Month.
Gov. Sonny Perdue will make the announcement later in August, and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign is bolstering efforts to help people become better equipped to deal with natural and man-made disasters.
“GEMA’s campaign is focusing on important steps that individuals, families, businesses and communities should take to prepare for an emergency,” said GEMA public affairs officer Lisa Janak Newman.
The campaign is multifaceted and involves the American Red Cross, Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster, the Home Depot, Boy Scouts and even minor league baseball teams helping disseminate information, Newman said.
Efforts include the “Get A Kit, Give A Kit” campaign to assist people in need, the Ready Georgia contest for fifth-graders, and Ready-themed workshops for children at Home Depot stores statewide. Ready Georgia provides additional resources for businesses, individuals and even military families on its website.
According to the Small Business Administration, small business firms display a large discrepancy between their perceived preparedness and actual ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster. The Insurance Information Institute has found that the business failure rate following a disaster hovers around 25 percent, but goes as high as 40 percent.
Additionally, Ready Georgia is promoting citizen involvement in community preparedness through Community Emergency Response Team training. CERT training helps volunteers understand what hazards may arise in the wake of a disaster and how to address them while assisting other members of the community when trained first responders are delayed.
Military families who relocate frequently have the added challenge of understanding how each community coordinates disaster awareness and response procedures. To help adjust to these changes, Ready Georgia recommends families access online resources and additionally look to their service branch and individual post resources for preparedness.
Gov. Sonny Perdue will make the announcement later in August, and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign is bolstering efforts to help people become better equipped to deal with natural and man-made disasters.
“GEMA’s campaign is focusing on important steps that individuals, families, businesses and communities should take to prepare for an emergency,” said GEMA public affairs officer Lisa Janak Newman.
The campaign is multifaceted and involves the American Red Cross, Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster, the Home Depot, Boy Scouts and even minor league baseball teams helping disseminate information, Newman said.
Efforts include the “Get A Kit, Give A Kit” campaign to assist people in need, the Ready Georgia contest for fifth-graders, and Ready-themed workshops for children at Home Depot stores statewide. Ready Georgia provides additional resources for businesses, individuals and even military families on its website.
According to the Small Business Administration, small business firms display a large discrepancy between their perceived preparedness and actual ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster. The Insurance Information Institute has found that the business failure rate following a disaster hovers around 25 percent, but goes as high as 40 percent.
Additionally, Ready Georgia is promoting citizen involvement in community preparedness through Community Emergency Response Team training. CERT training helps volunteers understand what hazards may arise in the wake of a disaster and how to address them while assisting other members of the community when trained first responders are delayed.
Military families who relocate frequently have the added challenge of understanding how each community coordinates disaster awareness and response procedures. To help adjust to these changes, Ready Georgia recommends families access online resources and additionally look to their service branch and individual post resources for preparedness.