September is National Preparedness Month: “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.”

Preparedness tends to be a catch-all term. It encompasses everything from keeping a first aid kit in your car to being ready to survive the zombie apocalypse. It can mean different things to different people and might look differently depending on the situation or special considerations others may have to prepare for.

For the NOVA community, the Office of Emergency Management and Safety, or OEMS, takes the lead on helping the College prevent and prepare for disasters. To help keep the NOVA community prepared and ready to respond to potential disasters, OEMS works cohesively with other departments such as College Police, the President’s Office, Facilities Department and campus leadership. Additionally, they work with State and local agencies such as the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the Virginia Department of Health, as well as local first responders. OEMS creates, updates, exercises and continually re-evaluates the disaster response and preparedness plans.

OEMS encourages you to take steps to prepare for an emergency or disaster, whether it’s taking a CPR or first-aid course, putting together an emergency kit or discussing a communications plan with your family. It’s this smaller, micro level of preparedness, that can make a big difference during a disaster. Knowing evacuation routes from buildings, being able to offer care to fellow nighthawks, keeping yourself and others safe, could make all the difference in the outcome following a disaster. These preparations can also be implemented at home with family and loved ones. In the event of a disaster and before first responders arrive, it is often the actions of those on-scene that save lives.

Sometimes, preparing for a disaster can seem excessive or unneeded because the odds of a disaster are slim and it feels like it won’t happen to you. But, disasters are not a question of “if” but of “when” they will happen. When it comes to preparedness, ask yourself this one question: Would you rather explain why you did or why you didn’t take steps to prepare yourself for a disaster?

National Preparedness Month is the reminder to everyone to be prepared for the unexpected and to learn lifesaving skills, such as CPR and first aid. Throughout the month of September, your OEMS team will help guide you through some preparedness tips and tricks. Keep a look out for more information during disaster preparedness this month!