National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month is an annual observance held each September in the United States to promote readiness for natural hazards, public health incidents, terrorism, and technological disasters. Initiated in 2004 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of broader resilience efforts, the observance engages federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial entities alongside non-governmental organizations and private sector partners. The campaign emphasizes practical steps for households, businesses, schools, and communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a wide range of hazards.

Background

National Preparedness Month grew from post-9/11 emergency management reforms associated with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the modernization of disaster policy after the Hurricane Katrina response. The annual observance aligns with statutory frameworks such as the Stafford Act and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and complements programmatic initiatives from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Early advocacy involved partnerships with organizations including the American Red Cross and the American Public Health Association, building on historical preparedness campaigns tied to civil defense efforts from the Cold War era. Over successive administrations, Presidential proclamations and congressional attention—referencing entities like the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs—have reinforced the observance’s role in national resilience planning.

Objectives and Themes

The observance sets forth objectives that echo strategic documents such as the National Response Framework and the National Preparedness Goal by promoting risk assessment, capability building, and public engagement. Annual themes often focus on actionable priorities—household emergency kits, communication plans, community drills, and continuity planning—while referencing sector-specific guidance from the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Themes have spotlighted topics covered in reports by the Government Accountability Office and research from institutions like the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the RAND Corporation. Cross-cutting objectives align with initiatives from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Health Organization where international frameworks intersect with domestic preparedness.

Activities and Campaigns

Activities during the month include public awareness campaigns, tabletop exercises, full-scale drills, social media outreach, and distribution of preparedness materials by partners such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, United Way Worldwide, and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Local emergency management offices coordinate community fairs, school programs with National Association of School Nurses involvement, and business continuity seminars supported by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Drills have involved multi-agency participation from the Federal Aviation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and state-level emergency management agencies; exercises often reference standards from the International Association of Emergency Managers and accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. Media campaigns leverage platforms operated by CNN, The New York Times, Facebook, Twitter, and public broadcasters such as National Public Radio to extend reach.

Organizational Partners and Roles

A wide network of partners contributes to planning and outreach, including federal agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Education. Nonprofit partners include the American Red Cross, Feeding America, Save the Children, and disaster-relief organizations such as Team Rubicon and Direct Relief. Private sector collaborators range from insurers like Allstate and State Farm to logistics firms such as FedEx and United Parcel Service, while philanthropic foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation fund research and community programs. Academic partners include the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which contribute modeling, training, and evaluation. Tribal governments and local jurisdictions coordinate through associations such as the National Governors Association and the National League of Cities.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations draw on metrics from after-action reports, grant performance measures tied to Federal Emergency Management Agency programs such as the Preparedness Grants, and analyses by the Government Accountability Office and academic centers at George Washington University and University of California, Berkeley. Impact assessments examine indicators including household kit ownership, participation rates in drills, continuity of operations outcomes for institutions like hospitals affiliated with the American Hospital Association, and business resilience metrics tracked by the Small Business Administration. Independent reviews after events such as Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States have informed refinements to messaging, partnerships, and funding mechanisms overseen by congressional committees and executive agencies. Ongoing evaluation seeks to integrate lessons from climate-related hazards cataloged by the National Climate Assessment and infrastructure resilience reports from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Category:September observances