Preparedness is Everyone’s Business

Emily Fay

September 13, 2021

Lexington, Kentucky, is launching the third week of National Preparedness Month campaign for September, as part of a nationwide effort, with the theme, “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” The goal is to remind residents to take personal action “now” to prepare throughout the year for any emergency that may arise.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency leads national Preparedness Month within the Department of Homeland Security, and it’s part of a governmental effort to strengthen the United States’ preparedness capabilities, whether a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. In addition, many federal and state government agencies participate in National Preparedness Month every year.

Each week in September will have a specific theme and point of emphasis. The theme for week 3 is “Prepare for Disasters” and will run from September 12 through the 18th

An important part of staying safe is to prepare for the worst. Take the time to find out what hazards your home is at risk of so that you can know what to prepare for. Check out your home’s risk of flooding, wildfire damage, earthquakes, and so on. An important way to protect yourself is to see if you have enough insurance on your home.

There are also general risks that you can learn to protect your family and your home against, such as electrical fires, storms, heat, and heavy snow. Take the time to learn how advisories work and keep yourself updated if something is predicted to happen.

Lexington Emergency Management has many ways for residents to connect with agency emergency and preparedness information. LEXALERTS allows residents to register their cell phone, home phone, and email to receive alerts about community emergencies, severe weather events, and other events such as shelter-in-place or evacuation orders

The BeReadyLexington mobile app gives Android and iPhone users access to the latest preparedness and emergency notifications.  More information about these services is available from the BeReadyLexington.com website or the Apple or Android app stores.

Preparedness information is also available via the Lexington Emergency Management website: BeReadyLexington.com, the agency’s Facebook page: @LexingtonKYEM, and its Twitter account: @Lexkyem.