National Preparedness Month 2011

Mayor Michael A. Nutter kicks off National Preparedness Month in the City of Philadelphia by helping Philadelphia Housing Authority residents prepare for emergencies.

On Friday, September 2, 2011 at Target, 7400 Bustleton Avenue, Mayor Nutter will proclaim the start of National Preparedness Month in Philadelphia and assist members of the American Red Cross Club Youth Council and the Philadelphia Police Explorers Post 991 as they assemble emergency kits for residents of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). The kits will be distributed at four Emergency Preparedness Workshops in PHA facilities.

“The thought of being caught in a fire, flood, or any emergency can be frightening, but if people aren’t prepared, the results can be devastating,” Mayor Nutter said. “That’s why I am asking all Philadelphians to prepare for emergencies. We all need to take personal responsibility and prepare ourselves, as well as our family.”

Helping the Mayor kickoff a month-long series of emergency preparedness events throughout Philadelphia, will be Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes, CEO of the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter; John Griffin, Group Assets Protection Team Leader for Target; Michael P. Kelly, Executive Director for the Philadelphia Housing Authority; Everett Gillison, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety; and Liam O’Keefe, Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management.

During the event, Mayor Nutter will present the Philadelphia Housing Authority with a proclamation recognizing September 2011 as National Preparedness Month in Philadelphia.

“The Philadelphia Housing Authority is excited to partner with the City to help our residents prepare for emergencies,” said Michael Kelly of PHA. “We encourage all our residents to take advantage of these Emergency Preparedness Workshops and make sure they are ready for anything.”

Members of the Red Cross Club Youth Council will also be recognized by the Mayor and Judge Hughes for their work creating and running a preparedness camp at the Red Cross.

“The time to prepare for an emergency is now, not when an emergency happens,” said Judge Hughes of the Red Cross.  “This work that the Mayor is leading is critical to the health and well-being of our communities. Last year alone, the Red Cross took care of more than 3,400 local people displaced by disaster, and all of them could have benefited from having some emergency plans and preparations – simple things like photocopies of important documents and a list of their medications and dosages – to help them recover more quickly and easily.”

Following the presentation, various emergency response agencies from Philadelphia will take part in a Public Safety Fair in the parking lot of the Target store. They will provide a variety of emergency preparedness information to the public and recruit volunteers.

“At Target, we are committed to supporting disaster preparedness, relief and recovery efforts to ensure we’re prepared as a community to respond should disaster strike,” said John Griffin of Target. “We partner with federal, state and local agencies to help communities prepare for disasters and we are excited to work with Mayor Nutter and the American Red Cross to help Philadelphia be prepared.”

National Preparedness Month in Philadelphia features of series of emergency preparedness events presented by the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management. This September focuses on four Emergency Preparedness Workshops at Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) facilities. PHA residents that attend will be eligible to receive the emergency kits assembled by the Mayor as well as members of the Red Cross Club Youth Council and the Philadelphia Police Explorers. The PHA facilities hosting these workshops include the Queen’s Lane Apartment’s, the Raymond Rosen Community Center, the Wilson Park Community Center and Bartram Village.

For more information about emergency preparedness and all the National Preparedness Month events in Philadelphia, visit the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management at www.phila.gov/ready or call 311.