- September is National Preparedness Month
- Those with the American Red Cross are helping people stay ready for a catastrophic event
- They say they are responding to twice as many disasters as they were 10 years ago
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Over the last decade the American Red Cross has seen a drastic increase in the number and severity of disasters. Those with the organization are telling people how to prepare for such events before they happen during National Preparedness Month in September.
“National Preparedness Month is an effort across the country to try to encourage families, individuals, businesses, community organizations, to think in advance about what they need to do to be prepared in the event of an emergency,” said Peter Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter encompassing the Lehigh Valley in South Whitehall Township
"...The size and the frequency of large disaster events is increasing. It's doubled in the last 10 years.”Peter Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter encompassing the Lehigh Valley
“It's even more important now than it was previously for families and companies because the size and the frequency of large disaster events is increasing. It's doubled in the last 10 years.”
The American Red Cross responds to all types of situations, from house fires to hurricanes, so Brown said people need to be ready for severe weather or other catastrophic events should they happen.
You need to have sort of what I'll call a bucket for your family.Peter Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter encompassing the Lehigh Valley
“You need to have sort of what I'll call a bucket for your family," he said. "These are some things that if we do these things every year, we check our smoke alarms, we have a go-bag, we have water available, we have the Red Cross emergency app, it's a really inexpensive way to significantly improve or reduce the risk to your family.”
A “go-bag” contains extra supplies, he said, such as a small amount of prescription medicine, an extra pair of eyeglasses and a flashlight.
Families can prepare for house fires by checking fire alarms frequently, going over where the exits are, and planning out a family meeting area outside of the home, he said. Flashlights and lanterns are suggested over traditional candles if power is lost, to decrease the risk of fire in a home.
“The time when people are most receptive to thinking about preparedness is right after their community has experienced a major disaster. And we're really just trying to spread the word that preparedness is something you have to think about 12 months out of the year.”Peter Brown, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter encompassing the Lehigh Valley
National Preparedness Month serves as a reminder, Brown said, to have many of these items ready and waiting before bad weather or other events strike.
“The time when people are most receptive to thinking about preparedness is right after their community has experienced a major disaster," he said. "And we're really just trying to spread the word that preparedness is something you have to think about 12 months out of the year.”
The Red Cross Emergency App tracks a person’s geography and can warn people of an upcoming disaster in their area.
