Washington, D.C., Sept. 16, 2008
— The destruction left by
Hurricane Ike reminds us of the importance of
en suring that we are prepared for any possible public health emergencies. With this in mind, the American Public Health Association (APHA) today hosts Get Ready Day events across the nation to encourage Americans to be prepared.
The events are aimed at helping Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for all hazards, including disasters, pandemic flu and other emerging infectious diseases. Get Ready Day is held in September in conjunction with National Preparedness Month.
“Get Ready Day is a great opportunity for us to get out in the community and share the important message of emergency preparedness,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA. “We hope that through the interactive games and activities at each event, people will leave knowing how to ensure their family is prepared for any emergencies they may face.”
One Get Ready Day event held in Washington, D.C., will be hosted today by APHA at CentroNia, a bilingual public charter school. The event is aimed at school-age children and their families and will feature games and other activities geared towards educating attendees about preparedness. In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ “Take the Lead” campaign, Get Ready events are also being held in St. Louis and Seattle, as well as nationally through a webcast on personal preparedness.
Held each year on the third Tuesday in September, Get Ready Day is an opportunity for communities around the nation to hold events aimed at helping Americans prepare themselves. APHA members, affiliated state and regional public health associations, partners and others work together to plan Get Ready Day activities that are targeted to their specific community’s needs.
The Get Ready campaign, sponsored by APHA, provides information, resources and tools so that all individuals, families and communities in the United States are more prepared for a potential influenza pandemic, outbreak of an emerging infectious disease or other hazard or disaster. Learn more at http://www.getreadyforflu.org/newsite.htm.