The City of Tacoma Emergency Management would like to remind everyone that September is National Preparedness Month (NPM). NPM focuses attention on what citizens should do to ready themselves, their families and their communities for potential disasters. This years theme is “a time to remember a time to prepare.” You can help remember the tragic events of 9/11 by joining the Tacoma Fire Department at its annual September 11th ceremony and you can get prepared by completing the following.

According to Ready.Gov ( http://www.ready.gov ), the U.S. government’s official preparedness Web site, there are three key steps for each citizen to become prepared for an emergency:

Get A Kit — Keep enough emergency supplies on hand for you and those in your care. For example, water, non-perishable food, first aid, prescriptions, flashlight, and a battery-powered radio.

Make A Plan — Discuss, agree on, and document an emergency plan with those in your care. Work together with neighbors, colleagues and others to build community resilience.

Be Informed — Free information is available to assist you from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial resources.

Like to stay informed? Sign up for Pierce County emergency alerts to be notified about emergencies and other important community news such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and evacuation of buildings or neighborhoods. Want to get involved? Consider attending a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to learn about how to prepare and respond to a disaster in your community.