September is National Preparedness Month

2024 Oregon Preparedness Month

Preparedness month is a time when federal, state and local partners work together to raise awareness about ways individuals and communities can become more self-reliant and ready to help others when disaster strikes. Here's what you can expect this year.

National Themes:

This year our partners at the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Ready Campaign and the Ad Council's National Preparedness Month Campaign theme will be "Start a Conversation". The campaign will focus on encouraging individuals and communities to learn about hazards our area, staying alert and taking small steps to build their preparedness.

Communities are most resilient when the whole community is included in preparedness activities. To support that, FEMA is working to develop preparedness resources that are more accessible to various communities. This year's focus is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities. If you are interested in other communities previous years' materials can still be found. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is emphasizing disability inclusion and accessibility.

Upcoming FEMA events where you can help 'start the conversation'

September 18, 2024, 10 am ET/ 7am PST: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Community-Focused Preparedness Webinar: “A Conversation in Preparedness" will discuss essential preparedness operations and procedures, business continuity strategies, assistance opportunities and addressing language and accessibility challenges. Though this will be hosted by FEMA region 3 which covers parts of the East Coast, some content may be relevant to Region 10, which includes Oregon.

September 20, 2024, 12pm-2pm EDT/ 9am-11am PST: Nextdoor Live Chat: Engaging with the AANHPI Community. Avaluable webinar designed for our AANHPI community. Join us to hear from experts on:

Essential preparedness operations and procedures
Business continuity strategies
Assistance opportunities
Addressing language barriers and accessibility challenges

This is a fantastic way to learn how to better prepare for emergencies and support community resilience. Your participation can make a difference! Though this will be hosted by FEMA region 3 which covers parts of the East Coast, some content may be relevant to Region 10, which includes Oregon.

September 23, 2024 2:30 EDT/ 11:30am PST: Engaging Communities and Communicating Preparedness FEMA and partners will discuss messaging strategies for communicators to prepare their communities for existing and emerging hazards. Presenters will share takeaways from the Risk Communications, Crisis Communications & Community Engagement Summit report and set the stage for continued convenings. Summit learnings will be applied to examples of successful community engagement and risk communications for disaster preparedness. Speakers from multiple sectors will present on a project or initiative that highlights these concepts and participate in a facilitated panel discussion.

Make a Plan to Prepare

Preparedness tools for Oregonians What to take during an evacuation

Preparedness and People with Disabilities

The disability community is strong and resilient in many ways. Yet, people with disabilities can be disproportionately affected by disasters. They may need additional assistance to communicate, maintain health, independence, safety, support and self-determination, and with transportation (CMIST).