The Peoria City/County Health Department is participating in September’s National Preparedness Month by remembering our commitment to prepare and plan for emergencies. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign, Resolve to be Ready is a nationwide effort designed to increase awareness as well as encourage individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies.

Greg Chance, Administrator at Peoria City/County Health Department states, “Emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere, and can happen unexpectedly in communities just like ours. Emergencies can be both natural and manmade and include fire, high winds, or power loss. Families and businesses can take those critical first steps in being more prepared during any emergency. Just follow a few tips from the Ready Campaign to become more prepared when disaster strikes.”

• Be informed. Know the potential hazards in your area and the way to respond to them.
• Make a family and business emergency plan. Include meeting locations and communication information.
• Build an emergency supply kit. Have kits at home, at work, and in the car. Include water, food, and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lose power at home or the office or get stranded in your car.
• Get Involved. Help promote preparedness in your community or join your local Medical Reserve Corps for both medical and non-medical volunteers.

Chance adds, “To help build your emergency supply kit, we provide a brochure Weekly Steps for Emergency Preparedness. It provides individuals and families a budget friendly plan to begin preparing for disasters and taking steps to minimize the impact of a disaster.”

For more Emergency Preparedness information and the resources listed, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org.