Ready Iowa?
Emergencies are a part of life. Fire, police, and emergency medical services may be delayed in an emergency or unable to respond. Whether it is tornadoes, flooding, winter storms, or an act of terrorism, emergencies can occur quickly and without warning. Although we cannot prevent emergencies, we can prepare for them.
September
Preparedness Month
September is Preparedness Month in Iowa. It is an opportunity for everyone to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, schools, and communities.
Iowa’s Preparedness Month is held in conjunction with National Preparedness Month, which is observed each September in the United States of America and sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
During Preparedness Month, Iowa HSEMD encourages Iowans to take three simple steps to ensure they are prepared.
Step One: Make an emergency plan. You and your household may not be together when an emergency happens. Identify a meeting place and out-of-town contact. Knowing what to do, where to go, and how to stay in touch with each other is important.
Step Two: Build an emergency kit. Include essentials like water, non-perishable food, first-aid and medicines, supplies for children and pets, and hygiene items for your household for 3-7 days. Your kit should be in an easy-to-access location and include a grab-and-go option.
Step Three: Be aware of hazards in your area. Learn about the emergencies your community may face and how to respond. Sign up for local alerting and emergency notifications through Alert Iowa. Find out if your county participates in Alert Iowa at alert.iowa.gov.
Daily tips and information can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/IowaHSEMD and Twitter at twitter.com/IowaHSEMD.
About us
What We Do
The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) has been working to make Iowa more prepared for disasters since it began as the State Civil Defense Agency in 1965. The focus of emergency management and the hazards faced by Iowans may have changed in some ways since that time, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to making our state more prepared for any emergency or disaster.
Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the department, then a division under the Iowa Department of Public Defense, was directed by the governor to coordinate Iowa’s homeland security efforts. While this broadened our mission, our underlying priority of ensuring Iowa is prepared and ready to respond to any disaster drives all we do.
While the likelihood of a terrorist act being committed in Iowa is unknown, we will continue to be affected by floods, tornadoes, snow storms, plane crashes, and other natural and human-caused disasters. HSEMD approaches these and other emergency situations with an emphasis on maximizing resources by using and expanding upon current capacities and building core capabilities that ensure we are prepared for all hazards.
FLOODS
FIRES
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
HEAT
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
TERRORISM
DERECHOS
EARTHQUAKES
LANDSLIDES
TORNADOES
Disaster & EMERGENCY Preparedness
Be Ready in 3 Steps
1
Step
Make a Plan
Knowing what to do in the event of an emergency is key. Make sure everyone in your family knows the drill.
2
Step
Build a Kit
Your emergency supply kit should have everything you need to sustain you and your family for 3-5 days. Use a checklist to create your own kit.
3
Step
Be Aware
Learn about the hazards that can affect your community and learn how to get information about current weather and road conditions.