National Preparedness Month

A new month is upon us, and the designation of it being National Preparedness Month could not be more timely.  The sheer number of things Americans are currently dealing with is overwhelming—hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, COVID variants, and more and more and more.  Frankly, we are tired.  When is National “Gimme A Break” Month??? Sadly, it seems that’s not on the agenda for the near future.  One of the keys to decreasing the stress of it all is “shared responsibility”.  Allow your co-workers to share the responsibility of preparedness in areas of weather watching, checking the CDC and State health websites, and disaster sites for national, state, and local emergencies.  Identify who will perform each task and report back to the emergency preparedness coordinator—whomever is designated in your emergency preparedness plan.  Establish a timeframe for these tasks and set reminders on an electronic calendar.  Remind your employees to personally prepare for disasters so they will be available to help your clients.  Finally, designate a short meeting time each week to discuss any areas of concern or needed plan changes.  Ongoing preparation will help ensure success in actual emergency situations and assist your organization in successful state surveys.