Get Ready Day: A timely opportunity to spread the word about preparedness

Get Ready Day is Sept. 19! How are you using it to promote preparedness?

With hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other emergencies threatening the U.S. in recent weeks, now is the perfect time to raise awareness of preparedness in your community.

Held each year on the third Tuesday in September, APHA's Get Ready Day is timed to coincide with National Preparedness Month. This year’s observance is Sept. 19.

Whether you’re on campus, at work, at home or anywhere else, there are many ways to be part of Get Ready Day. Here are a few ideas:

  • Share information: The Get Ready campaign offers free fact sheets, including emergency preparedness information on hurricanes, heat waves, flu vaccinations and many other timely topics. Use Get Ready Day as a time to learn and share information with others on how to be prepared for any emergency.

Our Get Ready fact sheets are available in English and Spanish and you can even add your organization’s logo. You can post our fact sheets on your website, print them for the office bulletin board or hang them on the fridge at home.

Get Ready information also goes over great on social media. Link to Get Ready information on Facebook and Twitter and use the #GetReadyDay hashtag. For a lighter approach to sharing preparedness information, check out our e-cards page.

• Create a plan: What better time to create a plan for emergencies than Get Ready Day? Work with your family, friends and coworkers to find the best way to be prepared for emergencies. Ask your child’s school or your office HR department about their emergency plans and offer to help if they’re lacking.

• Jump into action: Find ways to make your community better prepared beyond Get Ready Day. Even if there’s no time for you to hold an event now, you can make plans for a later date.

Need ideas? Set up a booth on campus to share materials. Host an after-school community preparedness fair. Work with a local grocery store to promote preparedness and stockpiling to shoppers through displays or fliers. Sponsor a preparedness talk at your local senior center or hold a town hall.

And if you need cool stuff to share at your events, check out the Get Ready Store!

After all, preparedness is a year-round activity!