September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and this year’s theme, “Preparedness Starts at Home,” focuses on getting back to the essentials.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), there are four key actions you can take to prepare for any disaster:

• Know your risk: Know what could happen where you and your family live. Explore various types of disasters and emergencies on Ready.gov.

• Make a family emergency plan: Follow four easy steps and create a free Family Emergency Plan quickly and easily with FEMA’s fillable form.

• Build an emergency supply kit: Having enough food, water and medicine can help you stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. Find a list to help build your emergency supplies kit here.

• Get involved in your community by taking action to prepare for emergencies: Emergencies can happen fast, and emergency responders aren’t always nearby. Consider taking first aid and CPR courses to help take care of your family, friends and neighbors.