September National Preparedness Month 2014 (+ free ebook and NPM special)

September is National Preparedness Month and thousands of private, public and nonprofit groups are encouraging businesses, agencies, organizations, schools and families to take time to help your community get better prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

Granted a vast majority of preppers are WAY ahead of the general population when it comes to being prepared and self-sufficient, however I’m sure many of you have family members, co-workers and others who are NOT prepared.

For example, USA Today recently wrote… “less than 40% of all Americans have an emergency plan, and just 29% updated their supplies in the past year, according to a FEMA survey made public Thursday. About half said they had some sort of supplies set aside, such as packaged food and bottled water, but less than a third reported having a first-aid kit.”

National Preparedness Month (NPM or #NatlPrep) is a great time to start a conversation about preparedness since the goal is to reach out and help those who don’t have a plan, supplies, kits, etc. Below are several resources and links (including a free preparedness ebook) that you may want to share with your family, friends and community.

Get involved in #NatlPrep and PrepareAthon  

During National Preparedness Month FEMA and Ready organizers are asking Americans to take action by planning a national PrepareAthon! day on or around September 30th. America’s PrepareAthon! helps millions of people focus on simple, specific activities like hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises that will increase preparedness.

Ready organizers are also suggesting important aspects of being disaster-ready each week during NPM:

• Week 1 (Sept. 1-7): How to Reconnect with Family After a Disaster – If you don’t already have a plan in place, sit down with your loved ones and create a Family Emergency plan (6-pg PDF from our book). If you do have a plan, take time to update your plan and emergency numbers as needed – esp. since this is a new school year for kids.

• Week 2 (Sept. 8-14): How to Plan for Specific Needs Before a Disaster – If you have seniors, family members with special needs, or pets, make sure they have all items they may need in case of an emergency or life disruption.

• Week 3 (Sept. 15-21): How to Build an Emergency Kit – Make sure you have enough supplies to last at least 3 days (or longer) after a disaster, and prepare kits for all the places you may be like your home, office, school and vehicle. A great new resource to help families get started is Emergency Bag Essentials written by the APN and Jason Charles of the NYC Preppers.

• Week 4 & 5 (Sept. 22-30): How to Practice for an Emergency – Now that you have the proper items and plans in place, it is time to practice, practice, practice! Families and businesses should take time (every month actually) to practice their plans with family members and co-workers on what to do if disaster were to strike. America’s PrepareAthon! can help you focus on simple, specific activities like hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises that will increase preparedness throughout the year.

Individuals, families, businesses, church groups, volunteers and others can join the America’s PrepareAthon! campaign and register to participate in the September 30 national day of action. Once you register you have access to guides, social media tools, and customizable materials you can use during drills or exercises on 9/30 and year-round. The key is turning knowing into doing!

Free preparedness ebook + NPM special  

A preparedness resource Bill and I wanted to share with you is a free 58-page mini ebook portion of our 266-page disaster preparedness and basic first aid manual.

During the month of September our company (Fedhealth) is discounting our consumer and business price on our IT’S A DISASTER! books over 50% off list (or only $7.00 U.S. each) on ANY quantity purchase through September 30, 2014. (Note, price drops even further in bulk.)

Our Government / volunteer / nonprofit price is always deeply discounted (75% off) in support of our grant and funding programs.

Books make great gifts for family members, friends, employees, volunteers and co-workers, and our products can be customized for free to include logos and special messages to recipients.

Plus we are donating up to 30% of orders back to APN in support of their efforts.

Learn more at www.itsadisaster.net/apn.html or call Fedhealth at 1-888-999-4325 … and please share the link and mini ebook with others to help your communities get better prepared.