National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness month. National Preparedness Month 2006 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. To know more about this visit the National Preparedness Month website.

This is a time we all should make a resolution to check regularly in future how prepared we are if a disaster strikes. However hard we try, we cannot avoid natural disasters but we can avoid a lot of misery and distress, if we are ready for it.

Here are a few tips for disaster preparedness:

Pick a day that's easy to remember, such as the first of the month, to test your home's smoke detectors and flashlights and radiobatteries.

Keep your emergency food and water supply fresh by consuming and replacing items before their expiration date.

Store your emergengy prepardness plan and disaster supplies kit in the same place.

Include books and games in your emergency supplies kit. You'll want something to do and keep your mind away from unnecessary anxieties.

Always have at least a half-tank of gas in your car, so you'll be prepared to evacuate.

Involve Children in emergency prepardness. they'll react better during a real-life emergency if they've practised beforehand

Hold a fire drill at night, to practise finding your way out of the dark.

Conduct a "household hazard hunt." look for furnature that needs securing, flammable products that require safe storage, and other items that could fall or cause a fire. Then fix problem areas.