September is National Preparedness Month: American Red Cross Reminds Greater Lehigh Valley Residents to Prepare for the Unexpected by Taking Action Now

Working to make preparedness a priority for every household, workplace and community, the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are co-sponsoring the second annual National Preparedness Month, a nationwide coordinated effort that encourages Americans to take steps to be better prepared for disasters and other emergencies where they live, learn, and work.

"There are five simple things each of us can do to be prepared: (1) make a family emergency plan; (2) build an emergency preparedness kit; (3) get trained; (4) volunteer; and (5) give blood," said John R. Hughes, executive director of the local Red Cross. "If we all were to take those proactive steps, it'll be a healthy move toward making our community safer and minimizing the impact disasters and emergencies has on our lives."

Because it encompasses other aspects of what being prepared means, making a plan is the first and perhaps most important part of a family's emergency preparedness. As a family, determine what disasters may occur in your community and how you may be impacted. Use that information to plan how you would contact each other if at home, work or school. Gather supplies necessary for sustenance and comfort; this will help you both follow the plan and stay safe during and after a disaster or other emergency. Identify two places - right outside the home and outside the neighborhood - incase you cannot return home to meet after a disaster.

After determining places to meet, an out-of-town relative or friend should be identified to be the "family contact." "After a disaster, local telephone lines may be busy and overloaded so it's often easier to call out of the affected area," points out Hughes. "The role of the family contact is to collect and communicate individual locations and status and then when conditions allow, help everyone connect." Consequently, everyone, including children, should know the family contact and keep contact information handy.

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter has specially designed age-appropriate materials available at www.redcrosslv.org to help families develop a thorough communication plan. "This is a not-so-fun issue and yet an important one so we aimed to lighten it up a bit with tools geared to kids and encouraging parents to let them lead the effort."

These materials are suitable for families and teachers to download. The information is available in both English and Spanish for students grades K-8.

Throughout National Preparedness Month, nearly 900 Red Cross field units will participate, support and host a variety of events geared toward bringing the preparedness message home to the communities they serve.

On Sept. 23, the local Red Cross plans to visit four area third-grade classes to teach students the importance of having a family communications plan.

On Sept. 24, the chapter will present Together We Prepare Saturday, a community-wide emergency preparedness day for adults and students grades 6-8. The event will be held at Calvary Temple, 3436 Winchester Road, Allentown (just off Route 22 and Cedar Crest Boulevard). Residents may register for one of three training classes and presentations: Adult CPR/AED Training, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Preparing for the Unexpected (for adults), from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; and First Aid and Preparedness (for children grades 6-8), from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Deadline for registration is Sept. 16. No walk-ins, please. Space is limited. There is a $5 nonrefundable registration fee for the Adult/CPR Training; other presentations are free. For more information or to register online, visit www.redcrosslv.org, or call (610) 865-4400, ext. 247.

In addition, Target and the American Red Cross teamed up to create a First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit that contains more than 15 essential emergency items for a family of four. The kits will be available beginning in September and will be available year-round only at Target stores and online at Target.com. The First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit is an affordable option for families to ready themselves for any type of emergency, retailing at $29.99. Target will donate $10 of every kit purchased to the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training; Lifeline, a personal response service for seniors; and emergency relief to more than 20,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents. For more information about the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley or volunteer opportunities, call (610) 865‑4400, ext. 247 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.