Is Your Family Prepared for the Future?

The floods and fires that have destroyed so many homes across the United States, and the ongoing threats of hurricanes and tornadoes, remind us that the unexpected can happen at any time. 

While we can’t control what happens, we can control how we prepare for and respond to it.  Taking action ahead of time to prepare can help us respond better, faster, and safer.

September is National Preparedness Month and Summit County Chapter is encouraging families, businesses and organizations to join us in helping to create a more prepared country by taking three simple actions to “Be Red Cross Ready” for future disasters and severe weather emergencies:

• Get a kit
• Make a plan
• Be informed

Taking these basic preparedness actions can help you prepare for just about any disaster.

To help you, we’ve created a free online education module at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady.  It includes a downloadable emergency preparedness kit shopping list, emergency contact card and instructions for creating a family communication plan. Red Cross community volunteers are also ready and willing to come to your place of business, school, civic group meeting or church and present “Preparing for the Unexpected” presentations.  These presentations are free and available by calling Chad Knowlton, Disaster Readiness Specialist at 330.535.2547 or emailing knowltonc@usa.redcross.org.

If you’ve been putting off getting prepared, now is the time to do something about it. Together, we can make Summit & Portage Counties safer places to live, work and play, by being “Red Cross Ready.”