September is National Preparedness Month

How prepared are you for a disaster? Do you know where you will go if required to evacuate? How will you be notified of weather alerts and emergencies? September is National Preparedness Month and Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency wants you to know that disasters don’t plan ahead- but you can! Throughout the month of September, take the three easy steps below to make your household more disaster-ready!

1. Sign up for Alert Hamilton County. When signing up, you not only receive emergency messages, you will also be able to choose from 42 different weather alerts. Alert Hamilton County is paired with Smart911, allowing you to create a Safety Profile of important family, medical, and personal information that can be shared with dispatchers & first responders during an emergency. You can quickly and securely sign up at: www.alerthc.org.

2. Build a Preparedness Kit. Before a disaster, have essential elements stored away in a water-tight container that can be “Grab and Go,” in the event of an evacuation. Creating a kit does not have to be expensive or difficult, as most items you should include are already in your home! For a full list of items, please visit: www.ready.gov/kit.

3. Make a Plan. Discuss with the members of your household how you will communicate in the event of a disaster, where you will meet to reunite, and how you will receive emergency alerts and warnings. Do not forget to plan for your pets! For more information about how to make a plan, please visit: www.ready.gov/plan.