Take a second and “ash” yourself: Are you prepared for wildfires?

Life isn’t always a box of chocolates. Instead, it’s often like a jar of jalapeños, and what you do today might burn you tomorrow, especially when it’s wildfire season.

Nine of the 10 years with the most destructive — meaning total land burned — wildfires have occurred since 2000. A record high was set in 2015, when more than 10 million acres burned. And the length of the typical fire season has tripled because of human-caused wildfires, which made up 84 percent of wildfires from 1992 to 2012.

FEMA/Jana Baldwin

The U.S. Fire Administration is doing something about it and so can you. In the words of Smokey Bear, “only you can prevent forest fires” and here are six quick, practical ways to do that:

The first step is to prepare:
• Make an emergency plan. Learn your evacuation routes and create a communication plan.
• Make an emergency kit and keep it in an easily accessible place. Remember your pets!
• Make sure to have a way to receive emergency information from officials through radios, phones and other devices.

It’s also important to protect:
• Keep your home — roof, rain gutters — and surrounding area clean and your yard green. Assure that your house number is visible.
• Make a safety zone of up to 100 feet around your house that is free from anything easily flammable, including dry leaves, branches and propane tanks.
• Purchase insurance and furniture with fire safety in mind.

For more tips on how to reduce your wildfire risk, check out our Get Ready fact sheet and share with your friends, family and community.

Science and preparedness go hand-in-hand: Say yes to the March for Science

Imagine this: you’re sitting in a tree house eating ants on a log and playing Two Truths and a Lie. You say, “Tsunamis are fake, the Get Ready Blog is fantastic and science is fascinating.”

If this aligns with your truth — you know tsunamis are real and love our Get Ready campaign, science, tree houses and more — the March for Science is for you and you are for the march!

This Earth Day, April 22, scientists and supporters are marching to celebrate science, with over 170 organizations and counting. The march distinguishes science as not just lab coats, goggles and Bill Nye the Science Guy, but as an explanation of the world around us.

Science and preparedness go hand-in-hand. Science provides the facts on climate change, including increasing heat waves, tropical storms, floods, fires and more. Because of science, we know that it’s more important than ever to be prepared for disasters. And as our APHA T-shirt says, “science is evidence, not opinion.”

March with APHA in Washington, D.C. or join one of the hundreds of local events. If you can’t attend in person, watch a livestream of the D.C. event on the March for Science website and chime in on social media with the #marchforscience hashtag.

But wait, preparedness first! Before you run out the door full of excitement and line up in the nation’s capital or in your hometown, make sure you’re prepared for crowds. And print out some of our great pro-science signs to show your love for the cause.

Happy marching!

Add to your cart: Announcing our Get Ready Store

Have you been patiently awaiting the arrival of an online store with a large range of Get Ready items? Well, the wait is over. A fabulous selection of preparedness-themed merchandise is now available on  our Get Ready Store. 

What can you expect from our store? Lots! Adult and children’s clothing, accessories, pet gear, drink ware, décor and gifts — complete with Get Ready’s famous blend of preparedness humor and education.

Get Ready items make great gifts. Pick up a shirt for your dog, tote for your mom and mugs for the team at the office. A Get Ready lunch bag would be a great gift for that public health grad in your life.

Our Get Ready designs are both attractive and informative. They’ll remind you to be prepared, wherever you are. Worried about disease outbreaks? “Keep calm and take a shot,” as one of our designs says. (Meaning a vaccine, of course!)

Purchases from the store help support the Get Ready campaign’s goal of helping Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for disasters. Plus, they’ll make you look super stylish.

If you want more great public health-themed items, check out the APHA Merchandise Store.

Start shopping our fun new styles on the Get Ready Store now!

It’s NPHW! Get ready to join the party

Looking for a reason to celebrate? Guess what? It’s National Public Health Week!

APHA is using April 3-9 to celebrate the importance of public health for both individuals and communities. Where we live, work and play has a major role in shaping health. By addressing the social and environmental factors of health we’ll be the “Healthiest Nation 2030.”

NPHW is a great time to highlight preparedness, as public health and emergency planning go hand in hand. Ensuring emergency health services are in place, evacuation routes are known and households are stocked with emergency supplies are great ways to build healthier communities.

If you want to make sure your community is taking part, here’s how to join the party and show your support for a good cause:

• Check out the NPHW website for many great resources to help you get involved. Look through the toolkit, review the facts for the week and share images on social media.
• Stay tuned to the NPHW calendar for information and updates on this year’s NPHW activities. These activities are a great way to have fun and get involved in NPHW. Don’t miss out!
• Follow @NPHW on Twitter. On Wednesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. Eastern time, APHA will be hosting an NPHW Twitter chat. Use the #NPHWchat hashtag and celebrate good times with your fellow tweeps! 
• Pass out some of Get Ready’s many preparedness fact sheets at your community events. Or share copies at the office, home or school. After all, everyone can use preparedness tips. 

So, do what you need to do to get in the party mood. Pull out the leather jacket in the back of your closet that makes you feel like Danny Zuko, or if unicorn onesies are your thing, put it on ASAP, because this National Public Health Week is a time to celebrate.