National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month Recent Events Prove ‘Ready Army’ Importance

COL Rodney D. Edge U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Lee Commander

The final days of August were challenging for all of us here at Fort Lee.

The earthquake on Aug. 23 and subsequent aftershocks were a new and understandably unsettling experience for many people on post. Without missing a beat, Hurricane Irene roared her way up the eastern seaboard later that week, bringing punishing wind and rain to our area and leaving half of the installation without power.

Fortunately, as I’ve discovered in the brief time since taking command of the garrison, we have an exceptionally skilled team of military and civilian personnel. They devoted themselves instantly to the tasks of protecting our community members and restoring the vital services they depend upon – even those who had their own great challenges at homes off post.

The support these individuals provided to ensure the garrison was restored to some form of normalcy was stupendous, and I cannot thank them enough.

In the wake of any events like these, it’s important to look back at how we responded and ask: “Were we prepared?”

Consider your family’s emergency readiness kit – was it adequate for the storm and subsequent power outages? Were you rushing around at the last minute to find water, flashlights and batteries? What if your home was one of those damaged by wind and falling debris – would the family know how to get out and where to meet? Would they know where to go if ordered to evacuate inland? Each question is worthy of close examination.

It’s an interesting twist of fate that September is both National Preparedness and Ready Army Month, so the timing for focusing on safety and family readiness couldn’t be better.

It is the responsibility of every Soldier, family member, civilian and contractor to be prepared to handle emergencies. Though little reminder may be needed considering recent events, this month’s observances help us keep in mind the importance of preparedness actions – building and maintaining a disaster supply kit, developing response and communication plans, and learning about the types of emergencies and actions that can occur on our installation and in our communities.

The emergency responses to recent crises were extremely commendable, yet there is always room for improvement. Please visit www.ready.army.mil and learn more about the Ready Army initiative, which marks its eighth year in 2011. The FEMA website www.ready.gov offers a wealth of information about disaster preparedness as well. Keeping in mind that the peak of hurricane season is yet to come, and the Atlantic storm season continues through the end of November, this is a very good time to assess, plan and prepare for all types of emergencies – big or small.