Be Prepared - Disaster Preparedness

BEING PREPARED IS A MINDSET

If you are going to survive any form of crisis or catastrophe, you will need to be prepared. This is the time to learn from others. If you choose to wait until the emergency is upon you, you have waited too long. You and thousands of others will be frantically trying to play "catch up."

The key is to anticipate your needs, think through all scenarios and to calmly prepare. For example, it’s a great idea to have flashlights ready should the power go out. But take it to the next level and think through how and when you may need the flashlight--place one next to your bed and another in the kitchen. Keep one in the car. A flashlight won’t do you much good if hidden in the bottom of a box out in the garage.

We all must prepare to minimize the damage and recover from any future terrorist attack or natural disaster. If there is a terrorist attack, the better prepared we are, the less damage will be inflicted. So, in effect, preparedness is a form of anti-terrorism, at a personal level.

The world is not what it used to be. There have always been threats to our nation, but none so potentially catastrophic. If available weapons of mass death and destruction are used against us, the damage will be beyond anything we can imagine. Whether they use standard explosives or genetically modified killer viruses, the devastation will be overwhelming. It is our individual responsibility to not only prepare our own homes and neighborhoods, but to “spread the word.” The more people that prepare, the better able we will all be to protect our communities, our nation and ourselves.

You must develop an attitude of preparedness. We do not need to be afraid or live in constant fear. Rather, we must admit that we live in an uncertain world, with potential risks and hazards- natural and man-made. Ignoring these risks will not make them go away.

This is for everyone. Even if a disaster occurs elsewhere, it can and often does impact on everyone.