Governor Proclaims Georgia's Support of National Preparedness Month

ATLANTA – September is National Preparedness Month and Governor Sonny Perdue is encouraging residents to get ready for the unexpected by creating an emergency plan and “Ready Kit” of emergency supplies – steps only about 20 percent of Georgians have taken.

“One natural or man-made disaster is all it takes to devastate an entire community,” said Governor Perdue. “It’s impossible to know when or where an emergency will strike, so being prepared is the best defense against any threat to our state.”

National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Ready America campaign, is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage action for emergency preparedness. Nearly 2,000 private, public and nonprofit organizations across the country participate as National Preparedness Month Coalition Members to remind citizens of the importance of emergency preparedness by hosting events and initiatives during September.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Georgia campaign, an extension of Ready America, is Georgia’s local, comprehensive resource for emergency preparedness. The campaign’s Web site, www.ready.ga.gov – sponsored by the Georgia Department of Community Health, Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response – offers users an interactive tool that generates a tailored communications plan for the entire family and a list of specific supplies to include in household Ready kits, along with other valuable information for individuals, families and businesses on how to get ready.

To help spread the campaign’s message – prepare, plan and stay informed – The Ad Council in cooperation with DHS, launched a new public service announcement today that was localized for Georgia by the Metro Atlanta Urban Area Security Initiative on behalf of Ready Georgia. The new PSA will air on television stations throughout the state to educate and engage viewers in the preparedness process.

“Research has shown that most Georgians feel immune to the threats that are real and dangerous,” said Julia Janka, program administrator for Metro Atlanta UASI.  “By creating awareness for the need to be prepared, we hope that more people will act as their own first responders should disaster strike.”

Citizens Corps, Community Emergency Response Teams, local emergency management agencies and organizations across Georgia are planning additional preparedness events in their communities.  For a list of events taking place during September and for more information about the Ready Georgia campaign and National Preparedness Month, visit www.ready.ga.gov .

About Ready Georgia

Ready Georgia is a statewide campaign designed to educate and empower Georgians to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks, potential terrorist attacks and other large-scale emergencies. The campaign is a project of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and provides a local dimension to Ready America, a broader national campaign.  Ready Georgia aims to prepare citizens for maintaining self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours following an emergency, and uses an interactive Web site, online community toolkit, television and radio advertising and public awareness media messaging to reach its audiences.  For more information visit www.ready.ga.gov or find Ready Georgia on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ReadyGA .

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