“National Volunteer Week offers an invaluable moment in time to celebrate this nation’s volunteers, and sounds a clarion call for all of us to help strengthen our communities,” said Murphy. “Planning for disasters means that we must plan for the whole community, including people of different ages and those with various access and functional needs.”
Murphy says this means planning for children – and not just thinking of them as small adults. It means planning for the elderly and planning for families without access to personal transportation. “Whole community preparedness means more than just planning for what’s easy,” said Murphy. “We have to plan for what’s real.”
FEMA’s Resolve to be Ready in 2011 campaign promotes whole community involvement in disaster preparedness. “Become involved in volunteer programs that strengthen your community’s disaster resilience. Investigate training and volunteer opportunities available through the American Red Cross, Citizen Corps or Community Emergency Response Teams,” continued Murphy. “No matter how busy or hectic our daily routine, we all need to take the time to take positive action to prepare ourselves, our loved ones and our communities in the event of severe weather, earthquake – or any other major disaster.”
For more information on the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, visit http://www.fema.gov, http://www.ready.gov and http://www.citizencorps.gov.