We all bring something different to the table, and that table needs you. Volunteers are vital to how quickly we bounce back from disaster.

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Be Extraordinary: Get Involved in Your Community’s Preparedness

As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, Preferred Mutual urges you to get involved early in disaster relief organizations to help prepare yourself, family and community in the face of emergencies.

Community members are the key to our nation’s preparedness and resilience.  According to the Federal Environmental Management Agency (FEMA), by definition, preparedness are actions taken to plan, organize, equip, and train in an effort to build and sustain capabilities necessary to:

• Prevent,
• Protect against,
• Mitigate the effects of,
• Respond to, and
• Recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk.

It is a shared responsibility between our government, private and nonprofit sectors, and most importantly, individual citizens and their communities.

The reality is that in a disaster, first responders and emergency workers may not be able to reach everyone right away.  In addition, providers may not be able to restore critical services, such as power, immediately.

But you can help!

Community Preparedness Resources

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

This is a nationwide approach to volunteer training and is an organization that professional responders rely on during disaster situations.  Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced.

Find your local CERT, click here!

The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) is another nationwide association of organizations that mitigate and alleviate the impact of disasters, provides a forum promoting cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration, and fosters more effective delivery of services to communities affected by disasters.

Learn more about NVOAD here!

The American Red Cross might be one of the most recognizable of these national organizations.  Community preparedness is rolling up your sleeves and donating time, money and heart, where members learn or teach life-saving skills so our communities can be better prepared for when the need arises.  Red Cross volunteers deliver vital services – from providing relief and support to those in crisis, to helping their communities be prepared to respond in emergencies. 

Learn more about the American Red Cross and how you can help save lives here.

At Preferred Mutual, we recognize the strength of community.  We all bring something different to the table, and that table needs you.  Volunteers are vital to how quickly we bounce back from disaster.  Consider a role in community preparedness today and get involved!