No Government Entities Are Active in Preparedness Planning

Except for the Department of Defense (DOD),It's time to draft your own disaster preparedness
no federal, state, local or private entity isplan for you and your family. To do that, sit down
prepared to undertake catastrophic preparednesswith your family and draw up very basic plans of
planning, let alone work together as a team to pullaction in case there's an emergency. Here are a
off a real national response.few questions to ask yourself:
Regarding war or natural disasters, we often have
to learn our lessons over and over again. We1. Have you set aside emergency preparations of
know history repeats itself, but we never seemfood and water?
to plan ahead for when it or something similar2. Do you know how to protect yourself if there's
may happen again.an emergency that forces you to stay home?
As a result of tragedies like 9/11 and Hurricane3. Do you have an emergency place to flee in
Katrina, we should have gone into overdrive withcase your home is damaged by natural disaster?
national disaster planning, but that didn't happen.4. If you and your family are separated during an
Federal agencies have completed almost none ofemergency, do you have a designated meeting
the Department of Homeland Security planningplace?
scenarios.5. Do you have first aid supplies?
So, if we weren't prepared then and we're notYou can have confidence and be prepared for
prepared now, how will the United States beany emergency if you sit down with your family
ready when another attack or disaster strikes?and think things through. It should take about one
We could tell you not to worry, that we're inhour for initial planning. Then make sure to take
good hands and that everything will be taken carecare of any necessary steps, such as purchasing
of in the event of an emergency. But, that justneeded items, as soon as possible.
isn't true.Being prepared is something you will never regret.