preparedness | Blogs

Welcome PrepTember: The Readiest Time of the Year

September is a busy month, and not just because that’s when all things pumpkin spice start showing up on store shelves and coffeehouse menus. Here are few reasons why September is possibly the busiest time of year for emergency and risk communicators, including those of us here at the Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR). Read More >

August 26, 2019 by Blog Administrator1 Comment

General, natural disasters, preparedness, Preparedness Month

Asthma, Atlantic hurricane season, bleeding disorder, disaster, emergency, Environmental Health, food allergy, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Michael, national preparedness month, personal health, Prepare Your Health, preparedness, public health, Ready Wrigley, school

Lost and Found: Reuniting with Loved Ones in an Emergency

Mother and daughter embracing sitting on couch

More than a collection of names, phone numbers, and street addresses, an Emergency Action Plan is an instruction manual for how to stay healthy, stay informed, and stay connected in an emergency. It’s important that everyone in your household know how to inform family, friends, and caregivers of their well-being and whereabouts when a disaster Read More >

August 12, 2019 by Blog Administrator3 Comments

General, Injury, natural disasters, preparedness, response

children, Emergency Action Plan, family reunification, mental health, National Check the Chip Day, older adults, personal needs, pets, Prepare Your Health, prescriptions, Ready Wrigley, Safe and Well

Good as Gold Prep Your Health Tips for All Seasons

Some things just age well: jeans, wine, flannel sheets, and The Golden Girls. That’s right, a 1980s sitcom about four single, women living, loving, and laughing together in Miami. It lasted just 180 episodes. Since going off the air in 1992, however, the show has regained some of its luster. So much so, that last Read More >

July 29, 2019 by Blog Administrator2 Comments

Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, prevention, response

carbon monoxide, Care for Each Other, cheesecake, Create Community, flood, food safety, generator safety, Golden Girls, Hurricane, personal health, Prepare Your Health, seasonal flu

Six Ways to Ruin Your Summer Fun!

A group of children at a pool learning to swim.

Ahhh, summer… when the weather’s nice, the birds are singing and the ways to endanger your health are many. Here are six things that can ruin your summer fun and simple steps that you can take to prevent them from happening. 1. Don’t Get Overheated It doesn’t matter whether you’re physically fit or young and Read More >

July 8, 2019 by Blog Administrator3 Comments

General, Injury, preparedness, prevention

drowning, Environmental Health, extreme heat, food poisoning, food safety, heat cramps, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, mosquitoes, personal health, pool safety, public health, sunburn, Sunscreen, ticks, water safety

Pet Project: 5 Ways to Prep Your Pet for Emergencies

Grey adult cat resting inside a pet carrier.

Your pet is family. Their safety and well-being is a priority for you every day, but have you thought about what you would do with your pet in an emergency? Many people don’t think about being prepared until an emergency is at their doorstep. When disaster strikes, they may choose to ignore evacuation orders because Read More >

June 24, 2019 by Casey Barton Behravesh, MS, DVM, DrPH, DACVPM, Director, One Health Office, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases6 Comments

General, preparedness, response

cats, dogs, emergency preparedness, flood, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, Kilauea volcano, National Pet Preparedness Month, personal health, pets, wildfire

Breathe Easy, Part 2: How to Properly Use a Respirator in an Emergency

Close-up photo of a man putting on a respirator.

In the course of preparing for an emergency you might decide to buy a pack of respirators from your local hardware store, thinking that they are ready to use out of the box. However, before you can rely on one of these devices to protect you, there are some important selection and use criteria to Read More >

June 17, 2019 by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA, Health Communications Specialist, NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL); Christopher Coffey, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science, NPPTL; and Jonathan Szalajda, MS, Deputy Director, NPPTL5 Comments