National Preparedness Month, Week 1: Making a Plan Starts with Assessing Risks

For the start of this year’s National Preparedness Month, which is recognized every September, FEMA and the EPA have released messages about how individuals and organizations can take steps to prepare themselves for disasters and emergencies. In its message, FEMA highlights the overall theme for the month – “Prepare to Protect” – and for this week’s theme – “Make a Plan.” FEMA encourages everyone to use resources available at Ready.gov to assist with making a plan and for the tasks associated with the coming weeks. In its message, EPA encourages utilities to prioritize assessing their risks, an important step when beginning the planning process. To assist with this, it points to tools like EPA’s Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool, the Small System Risk and Resilience Assessment Checklist, the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool, and cybersecurity risk assessments provided by a technical assistance provider through EPA. WaterISAC has posted the full messages from FEMA and EPA below.