August 31, 2009 Contact: FEMA Newsdesk:
940-898-5454 NMDHSEM Beverly Allen
505-231-7197
News Release
September is National Preparedness Month
DENTON, TEXAS– Led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, National Preparedness Month is held each September and is designed to raise awareness and promote action surrounding emergency preparedness among citizens, businesses and communities.
Gary Jones, Acting Regional Administrator for FEMA Region VI said: “It’s extremely important for everyone to ensure their safety and that of their family by making plans and putting an emergency kit together now, rather than waiting until something happens.”
“We urge all New Mexicans to prepare for emergencies with an emergency kit consisting of a three day supply of food, water, medicines, pet supplies, flashlights, battery powered radio and batteries, a first aid kit and other items needed in an emergency” said Cabinet Secretary John W. Wheeler in Santa Fe.
To see a list of more than 1,200 national, regional, tribal, state and local businesses and organizations which have pledged their support and joined the 2009 National Preparedness Month (NPM) Coalition please visit www.ready.gov/america/npm09/members.html.
For more information on the Ready Campaign and NPM, please visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov. Information is also available by phone at 1-800-BE-READY or 1-888-SE-LISTO. For information on Citizen Corps, to download the study, and to find the over 2,300 local communities who have created Citizen Corps Councils to strengthen collaboration between government and civic leaders and to educate, train, and involve the public, please visit www.citizencorps.gov.
For additional preparedness information, please follow these links:
http://www.americaprepared.org
http://www.nmdhsem.org http://www.whatstheplan.org
New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
13 Bataan Blvd. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502 505-476-9600
###
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.