Several state agencies will be partnering in September to educate consumers and business owners on how to prepare for disasters

?BALTIMORE – During September, the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) are coordinating consumer outreach with other state agencies for National Preparedness Month (NPM). The other state agencies that will be participating include: the Department of the Environment, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Housing and Community Development.

NPM, a federal initiative of the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov, provides an opportunity to remind us that we all must prepare for emergency situations now and throughout the year. The devastating natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding of 2017 reminded the nation of the importance of preparing for disasters. This year Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan has declared two states of emergency already related to flash flooding.

disasters_happen_0605_onwhite.png“We want to make sure that we are providing resources to consumers and business owners to help them prepare before disasters happen. This collaborative, cross-agency educational campaign will allow us to reach more people with our message,” said Commissioner Al Redmer, Jr. “Our teams will be working together to promote National Preparedness Month across the state.”

This year the focus of NPM is on planning with an overarching theme: Disasters Happen. Prepare Now. Learn How. Throughout the month of September, the state agencies will be sharing tips and resources on how to prepare in advance and what to do when disaster strikes. Other activities include: National Day of Action is slated for September 15th and a Twitter Chat is planned for September 18th at 12:30 PM EST. Join @md_insurance and @mdmema and other preparedness partners across the country for this National Preparedness Month digital event. The hashtag to use is #BePreparedChat.

The weekly themes for NPM are:

  • Week 1 (September 1-8): Make and Practice Your Plan
  • Week 2 (September 9-15): Learn Life Saving Skills
  • Week 3 (September 16-22): Check Your Insurance Coverage
  • Week 4 (September 23-29): Save for an Emergency
Consumer outreach events will be held across the state and staffed by the MIA, MEMA, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Commerce, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. For a full calendar of events, click here:  (http://bit.ly/2oiio9U.)
To learn more about what to do in specific types of disasters, visit https://www.ready.gov. For more resources on National Preparedness Month, visit: https://www.ready.gov/september.