From gun violence to pipeline explosions, from hurricanes to blizzards, being prepared is essential. September is National Preparedness Month (NPM) – the time to build awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their cities, homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and places of worship. NPM is managed and sponsored by FEMA’s Ready Campaign.

Emergency preparedness is essential to every well-run community. Local governments must work together with school boards, the private sector, and individuals to ensure that the entire community has a plan in place so that no one is left vulnerable. Proper planning is what saved lives during the Oklahoma tornadoes this spring. Neighbor cities pitched in resources as Americans always have in tough times: just as the fire fighters who traveled across the country to help the victims of 9/11 in New York City, fire fighters are traveling out West to fight the wildfires.

Coordinated planning is what the National Preparedness Community (NPC) strives to do best, improving resilience in communities against all hazards throughout the country. It is the coordination of communities and resources, like the NPC and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), that help cities and counties through the worst of times. EMAC is the interstate mutual aid system that complements the national disaster response system, providing timely and cost-effective assistance to disaster-impacted states.

For more information on how your city and county can be the most prepared, check out the Emergency Management and the Emergency Preparedness pages on the Knowledge Network for tips from colleagues across the country and the ICMA Center for Public Safety Management.