Natural or man-made disasters can harm us. As the hurricane season is getting close, it is time to plan and prepare for this disaster and secure your home, office documents and any other properties. Also, this is the time when the U.S. and other countries are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Following certain necessary steps would help families and communities withstand and recover from unexpected adverse events.
Each year, September is observed as National Preparedness Month (NPM). This month is dedicated to encouraging families and communities to prepare for disasters and unplanned emergencies. This annual campaign is organized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 2004 and is sponsored by the Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen’s Corp. The agency advices people to prepare for specific threats such as floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and power outages. Planning and preparing in advance helps to lessen associated risks, ensure financial stability, and promote the health of kids in the community. Your personal documents are vulnerable and may be destroyed or lost during an emergency or natural disaster. Document scanning services can be of great support to safeguard your valuable documents, while you prepare for disasters like hurricane.
For 2020, the theme for National Preparedness Month is, “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Having a plan and preparing for the disaster helps to avoid fear and act promptly.
FEMA recommends these 4 weekly themes that families can consider to improve disaster preparedness at home. The campaign will also feature Public Service Announcements and multimedia products.
- Week 1: September 1-5 – Making a plan to communicate with your friends and family before, during and after a disaster
- Week 2: September 6-12 – Arranging a kit that includes supplies for each family member based on their unique needs
- Week 3: September 13-19 – Preparing for disasters by enquiring about the risk of disasters in your area and ensuring insurance coverage
- Week 4: September 20-26 – Preparing your kids to be safe in such adverse situations and making them understand what to do in case they get separated from parents
National Preparedness Month ends on September 30, which is National Preparedness Day. While protecting your family members and valuable home properties, you should ensure the safety of important documents – official or personal. Placing copies of key documents in a waterproof, portable container can prevent important files from getting wet. To avoid loss of valuable documents, consider document conversion solutions. Storing data in electronic format reduces the costs of physical storage and you can easily access the documents irrespective of your location.
Handle disasters efficiently and stay safe!
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