Full Notification

September is National Preparedness Month and the County of Santa Barbara is joining the nationwide effort to encourage individuals, families, businesses and organizations to prepare for emergencies by getting a kit, making a plan, staying informed and getting involved in their local community.

In the following video County Supervisor Salud Carbajal
outlines Santa Barbara County's commitment and participation in the National Preparedness Month effort and how you can become more prepared.

http://youtu.be/tjmfsLicO94

Preparedness is important because in the event of a local emergency, Santa Barbara County residents may need to be self-reliant for at least three days without access to electricity, water service, or food. Being prepared is a shared responsibility and everyone should do their part. Emergencies will happen, so it's important to be proactive and get prepared before disasters strike.

Santa Barbara County residents can take simple steps to be better prepared for disasters by making an emergency supply kit, developing a family communications plan, staying informed of the local hazards and getting involved in our community. To find out more about how you can be prepared visit: http://www.ready.gov/

During National Preparedness Month we ask you, your family, community and workplace to take action by planning a National PrepareAthon! Day on or around September 30th.

America's PrepareAthon! is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions, and exercises.

The second National Day of Action is scheduled for September 30, 2014 and will revolve around taking the actions to prepare for these six specific hazards:
◾Earthquake
◾Flood
◾Hurricane
◾Tornado
◾Wildfire
◾Winter Storm

Campaign Goals

The goal of this campaign is to increase the number of individuals who:
◾Understand which disasters could happen in their community
◾Know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage
◾Take action to increase their preparedness
◾Participate in community resilience planning

What can I do?
◾Register to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! and provide details about the activities you’re planning.
◾Plan your own local community or organizational preparedness event
◾Participate in discussion forums online with like-minded community members
◾Learn the actions to take for disaster preparedness and practice them!

Where can I find more information?
◾For more information about disasters, preparedness, and ways to get involved in America's PrepareAthon!, go to: http://www.community.fema.gov/connect.ti/AmericasPrepareathon
to access the America's PrepareAthon! Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions.

Register for America's PrepareAthon! taking place September 30th at the following link:
http://www.community.fema.gov/connect.ti/AmericasPrepareathon

Stay tuned for weekly OEM updates and information about National Preparedness Month!

Be Disaster Aware. Take Action to Prepare!