National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month (September) is a US government-promoted effort to encourage people to prepare for a variety of emergency situations. Founded in 2004 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the preparedness campaign is designed to remind people to proactively prepare for emergencies, natural disasters, and other disruptive events.

This month is a great time to evaluate your emergency funds and overall preparedness. Taking proactive steps can help you mitigate future risks and ensure that you have resources on hand to keep you self-sufficient and secure.

How to Prepare for an Emergency

National Preparedness Month: Tips and Information

Preparedness Month Tips

It’s important to be prepared. As we saw with the COVID crisis, the 2008 financial downturn, and 9/11 – o name a few – the world as we know it can change overnight. These disasters often come without warning, so the time to prepare is now. For full training on how to prepare for an emergency – click here.

Emergency Fund

Work toward having at least 6 months of your bills set aside in case of emergency, job loss, or other issues that affect your income.

Emergency Supplies

We suggest being well-prepared and having at least a one-year supply of emergency supplies and water purification tools.

Written Plan

Written Plan. Have a hard copy of your plan and distribute it to loved ones and people in your emergency network. Having a hard copy will ensure that you can access the plan should you lose electrical power.

Organize Documents

Organize Documents. Have all your important financial documents organized and secure. These documents should be available as hard copies in case of power issues.

Community Resources

Community Resources. Know evacuation routes and community meeting points and connect with other preparedness groups.

Resources to Help in Your Planning

The Disaster Preparedness Checklist provides an emergency checklist to help you set aside supplies to prepare your household and gauge your readiness to cope with a disaster.

Access Resource

National Preparedness Month Activity

Assessing Your Emergency Preparedness

While FEMA suggests having a three-day supply for evacuation, two-week supply for home, we suggest being more prepared and work toward having at least a one-year supply. Here’s how our financial coaches and financial educators assess a person’s emergency preparedness:

  • A household with less than a month’s supply of the items listed in the checklist is critically underprepared for disaster. Such households should make it a high priority to allocate money to stock up on items in the checklist immediately for their own safety and security.
  • Households with reserves that would last 1-2 months should also consider building a larger stock of essential items while also formulating emergency plans.
  • Households with 2-4 months of supplies may have a further need to stockpile additional supplies and coordinate emergency and communication plans.
  • Households with 4-12 month of supplies are protected, but still require planning and organization. They might build up cash reserves and invest in technology to reduce disaster impact.
  • Households with over a year’s worth of supplies simply need to maintain this safety net and check it annually to replace any perishable items.

FEMA’s Schedule of Activities of National Preparedness Month

Visit FEMA’s website https://www.fema.gov/ or their Get READY site https://www.ready.gov/september for the full list of resources and activities. Here is an overview of what they have planned this year:

  • Week 1: Sept 1-7 Save Early for Disaster Costs
  • Week 2: Sept 8-14 Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters
  • Week 3: Sept 15-21 Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters
  • Week 4: Sept 22-30 Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness

FEMA’s Schedule of Activities of National Preparedness Month

Visit FEMA’s website https://www.fema.gov/ or their Get READY site https://www.ready.gov/september for the full list of resources and activities. Here is an overview of what they have planned this year:

  • Week 1: Sept 1-7
  • Week 2: Sept 8-14
  • Week 3: Sept 15-21
  • Week 4: Sept 22-30
  • Save Early for Disaster Costs
  • Make a Plan to Prepare for Disasters
  • Teach Youth to Prepare for Disasters
  • Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness