Time to remember, time to prepare

Are you ready for a disaster?  The time to prepare is right now. That's the message the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to get out to people in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas during September, which is National Preparedness Month (NPM).

"This is a season when many of us will reflect upon past disasters such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina," said FEMA Region 6 Administrator Tony Russell. "But we must also remember to look forward and be prepared because disasters can happen anywhere at any time. 

"We strongly encourage everyone to take these crucial steps to get ready: have a plan in place, put together an emergency kit and stay informed by listening to your local and state officials," Russell added.

NPM is an annual initiative sponsored by FEMA's Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council. The theme this year is "A Time to Remember, A Time to Prepare." 

Tools and resources are available in English and Spanish to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from any type of disaster. Visit the Ready Campaign's websites, ready.gov and listo.gov, or call these toll-free numbers, 1-800-BE-READY and 1-888-SE-LISTO, for more information.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.