September Marks National Preparedness Month: Focus on the Basics

September is National Preparedness Month, a nationwide observance led by FEMA’s Ready Campaign since 2004. The goal is straightforward: encourage residents to take small, practical steps that can make a significant difference when emergencies arise.

This year’s theme — Preparedness Starts at Home — emphasizes the importance of returning to the essentials of readiness.

Whether it’s a natural disaster, severe weather, or other emergency, the foundation of resilience begins with individuals, families, and communities preparing in advance.

Four Steps for Preparedness

FEMA highlights four core actions residents can take right now to improve readiness:

  • Know your risk: Understand the hazards most likely to affect your community, from flooding to power outages. Knowing what you face helps you plan effectively.

  • Make a family emergency plan: Have a plan in place for how your household will communicate and respond during an emergency. Free tools are available through Ready.gov to help families get started.

  • Build an emergency supply kit: Stock essential items like food, water, and medicine to stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. A ready-to-go bag can be critical if evacuation becomes necessary.

  • Get involved locally: Emergencies can overwhelm responders. Training opportunities, such as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and first aid courses, or FEMA’s online training modules, provide residents with the skills to assist neighbors and enhance community resilience.

Why It Matters for Counties

Counties play a central role in emergency response, from operating local emergency management offices to coordinating with state and federal partners. But true preparedness begins before the first responder arrives. Encouraging residents to take ownership of their personal and family readiness lightens the burden during disasters and helps communities recover more quickly.

Learn More

Resources, graphics, and toolkits for National Preparedness Month are available at Ready.gov. Counties and residents alike can use September as a reminder: preparedness starts at home, and every small step taken today makes Maryland’s communities stronger tomorrow.

Stay tuned to Conduit Street for more information.