Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. –
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, emergency management personnel encourage everyone to take part in "America's PrepareAthon!" activities now through May 20.
A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency survey found that nearly 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster. Further, less than half of those adults have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. With the number and severity of weather-related disasters on the rise, "America's PrepareAthon!" is an opportunity for individuals, organizations and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills and exercises.
"America's PrepareAthon!" is a grassroots campaign for action to increase individual and community preparedness and resilience. The goals of the campaign are to increase the number of people 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 and participate in community resilience planning.
"Joint Base Langley-Eustis is susceptible to a range of natural hazards, and as part of the wider Hampton Roads community, we welcome this opportunity to take part in preparedness activities alongside our civilian partners," said Chris Born, JBLE emergency manager.
"America's PrepareAthon!" includes six weeks of activities and awareness of hazards specific to the local community. Families, organizations, schools, workplaces and individuals are encouraged to come together to practice simple actions to stay safe before, during and after emergencies. Examples include:
· Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to a smartphone. For example, www.weather.com allows individuals to sign up for local severe weather alerts that can send notifications via email or text messages to a phone. For a comprehensive list of available alert services visit http://www.weather.gov/subscribe.
· Develop an emergency communication plan for families. This will help individuals be in touch if a disaster strikes and family members are in different locations.
· Collect important documents and keep them in a safe place. This will help evacuate without delay and get back on track after the disaster passes.
· Gather emergency supplies. Pack a "go bag" to evacuate quickly, and have supplies in the home in case water and power are unavailable.
Born added that emergency management personnel will be making public outreach efforts across JBLE in the coming weeks, including information booths at both Exchanges, as well as hurricane preparedness exercises.
For more information about "America's PrepareAthon!" visit ready.gov/prepare or
www.beready.af.mil