National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and this post has been a month in the making. In the past month, I have updated our emergency kit and even prepared one for the car. Our emergency kit is constantly updated but does contain the basics. Below is a checklist I found that has helped me prepare our family disaster kit. If you click on the images below, it will take you directly to a site where you can download and print the checklist to keep handy.

Image courtesy of ready.gov.

Image courtesy of ready.gov.

A little about National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month was established in 2004 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the Ready Campaign to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies and disasters. The campaign promotes preparedness in homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and communities. The Ready website provides a plethora of information including how to build disaster kits and ways that individuals and communities can get involved in the campaign. The website has a variety of checklists available for families, pet owners, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Resources
Citizen Corps offers tips and resources for individuals and communities for successful preparedness programs.

Ready Kids has resources such as checklists, story books, quizzes, games, and additional information for kids, parents, and teachers.

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools is a website by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools to provide support, resources, grants, and training for local educational agencies and institutions.

Ready Rating is an American Red Cross program which provides businesses, schools, and organizations with tools, resources, and information necessary to respond disasters and other emergencies.

What's in your disaster kit? What are your must-have items for your family in the event of an emergency?

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.