September is Preparedness Month in Iowa, an opportunity for you and your loved ones to prepare for an emergency or disaster.

“Johnson County residents are no strangers to emergencies and disasters,” said Dave Wilson, Director of the Johnson County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “That’s why it is important for every person in our community to be prepared for themselves, their loved ones, and our community.”

Preparedness Month was initiated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to educate the public on how to prepare for emergencies after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States.  

“Everyone can prepare for disasters and emergencies -- individuals, businesses and government. We can all do our part to minimize the impact,” Wilson said. “Build a disaster response kit for you and your loved ones. Make sure that your business has a recovery plan. Volunteer with disaster response teams. All of these actions can save lives and help your loved ones and your community.”

During Preparedness Month, take three simple steps to ensure that you and your loved ones are prepared:

• Be aware of hazards.
• Make an emergency plan.
• Build an emergency kit.

For more information on emergency preparedness visit www.beready.iowa.gov or www.jecc-ema.org. Information can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnsoncountyiowaema. Search for #NatlPrep and #ReadyIA.

The Johnson County EMA Facebook page, and the Johnson County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JoCoIACERT) will provide future announcements regarding training opportunities for CERT classes. CERT is a program of Johnson County EMA comprised of local resident volunteers trained to respond to emergencies and disasters in the local community.