JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
On Aug. 31, 2015, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation to declare September as National Preparedness Month, with this year's theme being "Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Play Today."
Every September, the nation's spirit of resilience is celebrated by rededicating the important task of being prepared in the face of any crisis. At Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron and 733rd Mission Services Division, emergency management personnel are geared up to help prepare the joint base.
"We want to get the word out about National Preparedness Month as much as possible," said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Michelle Garrett, 633 CES emergency management flight. "Our goal is to get people to communicate with each other about being prepared at home, at school and even at work."
To go along with this year's theme, the U.S. Department of Defense encourages emergency communication planning, including organizing for evacuation or staying in-place and developing a family emergency communication plan.
The emergency management personnel at JBLE hosted events, put out a newsletter and highlighted an entire week to assess the installation's ability to protect members and resources from hazards.
"EM Awareness Week was meant to remind all personnel to remain vigilant in the wake of increased activities occurring in our communities," said Michael Hawkins, 733rd MSD emergency management. "To mitigate effects on personnel and equipment, all active duty Service members, residents and employees must be familiar with emergency preparedness measures."
According to the Deputy Secretary of Defense's memorandum on the month, preparedness is the shared responsibility of the entire nation. Preparing individual's families, components and installations for disasters and emergencies from flooding to an active shooter -ensure the strength of the workforce and the ability to continue to safeguard.
For more information on preparation measures visit,
http://www.ready.gov.