Anne Arundel County Celebrates National Preparedness Month

September is recognized as National Preparedness Month, an annual opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of always being prepared for disasters and emergencies.

Preeti Emrick, director of the Office of Emergency Management, urges community members to integrate preparedness into their lives as well, “even if in the smallest way. Whether it is creating a communication plan with your family, purchasing an item or two for your emergency kits, getting vaccinated, or simply signing up for Alert Anne Arundel, we can all take steps to better prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead,” Emrick said.

Throughout this month, the Office of Emergency Management will help the county prepare both at the individual and community level by hosting preparedness events, giving preparedness presentations to community groups/organizations, and by sharing preparedness tips on its social media accounts, which include a new youth preparedness campaign.

“Preparing as individuals and communities can save lives and avoid putting our first responders in harm’s way as they respond to emergencies,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “As severe storms and weather events become more frequent, we all need to do our part.”

Week 1 of National Preparedness Month was held September 1-4. Check out Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor and YouTube to learn about these other preparedness topics:

Week 2 (September 5-11): Build a Kit

Put together an emergency go-kit and gather supplies for sheltering-in-place that will last several days after a disaster for everyone living in your home. Don’t forget to consider the unique needs each person or pet may have in case you have to evacuate or move to a different area of your home quickly.

Week 3 (September 12-18): Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness

Limit the impacts that disasters have on you and your family. Know the risk of disasters in your area and check your insurance coverage. Learn how to make your home stronger in the face of storms and other common hazards, and act fast if you receive a local warning or alert.

Week 4 (September 19-25): Youth Preparedness

The youth are the future, so the Office of Emergency Management is launching a new youth campaign with its mascot, Pepper the Preparedness Pup. The campaign targets children and young adults by using a combination of pictures, videos, and activities where they can easily learn about preparing for emergencies and disasters.

For more information, contact the Office of Emergency Management at 410-222-0600 or oem@aacounty.org. TTY users, call via Maryland Relay 7-1-1.