September is National Preparedness Month, an annual campaign by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to raise awareness about the importance of emergency preparedness to encourage all Americans to prepare for disasters in their homes, businesses and neighborhoods.

According to a recent news release, every year Lehigh County is at risk from the damaging effects of flooding, extreme weather, utility interruption and industrial or transportation accidents that can release chemicals and other materials that are hazardous to humans and the environment.

Many emergencies occur with little warning, however, steps that you take today to prepare could save your life and your loved ones.

Throughout September, Lehigh County Emergency Management will highlight different steps to help the community prepare for disasters.

Get Involved: If a disaster struck our community and it caused emergency responders to be delayed, what would you do? If you would try to help your neighbors until the emergency responders arrived then the time to get involved is now.

Join the Lehigh County Community Emergency Response Team.

·CERT is about “Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ in your own neighborhood during an emergency.

Following a disaster, these citizen responders use their training as part of their neighborhood team to help others when professional responders are overwhelmed or not immediately available.

Build a Kit: You should have at least a 72-hour supply of nonperishable food, water, medications and other necessities to sustain you, your family and pets. Find a complete list of items to include in your kit at ready.pa.gov/BePrepared/BuildKit/Pages/default.aspx.

Make a Plan: Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

Find a list of simple and practical steps at ready.pa.gov/BePrepared/MakeaPlan/Pages/default.aspx.

Stay Informed: Protect yourself and your family. Remain updated on incidents and warnings affecting our community. In addition to radio and television reports, Lehigh County uses Code Red for reverse emergency notifications.

To sign up for emergency alerts and know where to get the latest information.

·Download the CodeRED Mobile App. You will have to register for an account, but you will be able to use the same one that you enroll with in CodeRED.

·Lehigh County CodeRED — ema.lehighcounty.org. Community Notification Enrollment (coderedweb.com).

·City of Allentown CodeRED, Emergency Management Agency (allentownpa.gov). Community Notification Enrollment (coderedweb.com).

For more information about emergency preparedness, follow the county’s “Ready Lehigh County” campaign on Facebook.