I’m kind of a rule-follower. I replace the batteries in our smoke alarms every year. I don’t run yellow lights. I get nervous when my husband suggests we leave our assigned seats at the baseball stadium for the better seats that have been unoccupied for the first four innings. So it is kind of stunning that I don’t have a whole stash of canned goods, bottled water and extra medications in my basement. In honor of National Preparedness Month, I plan to remedy this situation, and you should too.
Be informed. Make a plan. Build a kit. These are the basic messages at www.Ready.gov. This website provides information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that lists recommended items to have on hand in case of emergency, plus information about preparing senior citizens or your pets for possible emergencies.
The Callaway County Public Library in Fulton will be hosting a program on Wednesday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m. where Maria Cox, library staff member and Volunteer Community Emergency Response Team Coordinator, will share preparedness information for your home and your community. DBRL also has some great books to help you prepare yourself and your family for potential disasters (including a zombie apocalypse, because you never know). Don’t forget to check out DBRL’s Emergency Preparedness Subject Guide and the websites for the Columbia/Boone County Office of Emergency Management and the Callaway County Emergency Management Agency, too.
