By Ed Somers
August 30, 2004

This September, The U.S. Conference of Mayors has joined a coalition of more than 55 government and private organizations including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the American Red Cross, the America Prepared Campaign, the National Association of Broadcasters and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to mark "National Preparedness Month."

During the month, each coalition member will encourage citizens to take simple steps to prepare themselves and their families for a terrorist attack or any other type of emergency.

Some possible mayoral activities for National Preparedness Month that have been identified by DHS include:

• Holding a National Preparedness Month launch event at your city hall to coincide with the national launch at the U.S. Capitol on September 9;

• Enacting resolutions and issuing proclamations designating September 2004 as "Preparedness Month" in your city and encouraging citizens to get prepared;

• Hosting a town hall meeting on emergency preparedness; first aid or preparedness training classes; or "emergency kit making" or "communication plan making" events;

• Including information about emergency preparedness in constituent newsletters;

• Recording a city specific message to the new emergency preparedness public service messages that the Department of Homeland Security will unveil this fall;

• Sending emails to local employees informing them about National Preparedness Month and asking them to get prepared;

• Discussing emergency preparedness during media interviews and regularly scheduled local radio and cable television shows;

• Writing opinion editorials about emergency preparedness in local newspapers and magazines;

• Installing links to the Department of Homeland Security's citizen preparedness websites www.Ready.gov; www.Listo.gov on local government websites; and

• Going to http://www.ready.gov/ ready/pdf_brochure.jhtml and downloading a Ready brochure that can be customized to your city. Mayors can add photos and office contact information to the back page of these brochures and have them printed. These city specific Ready brochures could then be distributed at city offices, public meetings, county fairs, town halls, etc.