National Preparedness Month and Community Support

All September long we are recognizing National Preparedness Month, which includes a preparedness theme for each week! This week we are promoting “Community Support” and the Neighbors Helping Neighbors approach to ensure you, your family and your community are disaster ready.

Nearly 50 percent of people impacted by an emergency situation will rely on their neighbors and the community around them for assistance in the first 72 hours after a disaster. This is why your Southlake Office of Emergency Management is taking action now to ensure our community is more connected than ever through a variety of efforts, such as the Ready Southlake initiative.

Ready Southlake is an integral part of Southlake’s disaster response capabilities designed to create a community that is more resilient and connected to those around us. By partnering with faith-based communities around the City we can help build their level of preparedness so that they are able to respond and recover from disasters more effectively, and as a result, help those in need.

It’s not just us that can help our community before, during and after a disaster though! By embracing the Neighbors Helping Neighbors approach, you and your neighbors can start the conversation now for strategies to help each other out when a disaster inevitably happens. By helping your neighbor prepare, staying informed, and checking in on each other after an emergency has passed, we can all work together to create a safer community.

It doesn’t have to stop there either! Your neighbor can be next door, across the street or all the way across town. Volunteering with the City of Southlake can ensure that you’re help is directed where it’s needed most. If you’re interested in signing up to serve with the Southlake Office of Emergency Management, it’s easy!

• Go to volunteersouthlake.com;
• Go to ‘Assignment Preference’;
• Select ‘OEM – Disaster’;
• Complete the remaining parts of the Volunteer Southlake application

From there we’ll look at what unique strengths and abilities you have, and when disaster strikes, we’ll know who to call!

Lastly, if volunteering isn’t your thing that’s OK! You can also help your neighbors through giving blood. 1 donation can save up to 3 lives, but only 38 percent of the population is eligible to give. If you’re interested in giving blood and saving a life, sign up to donate using the link below and we’ll see you at the National Night Out on September 28^th from 5-8 PM in Southlake Town Square where we will be partnering with the Rotary Club of Southlake to hold the blood drive. Donating blood saves lives — so why not give?

https://ww2.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/107497

For tips and tricks on how to improve your community preparedness, visit Ready.gov/neighbors or contact your Southlake Office of Emergency Management!