Get Ready Day
Join together with your community, family, or simply yourself to figure out what to do in an emergency of any kind and Be Ready for whatever comes.
Being prepared to deal with an emergency is important for anyone and this is just what Get Ready Day is all about!
Get Ready Day is staged each year as a way of encouraging individuals, families, and communities to consider what is required in the event of natural disasters, pandemic illnesses, infectious diseases, and other crisis events.
It’s a day that focuses on keeping folks of all ages safe and sound by making sure they are prepared for whatever may come.
History of Get Ready Day
Natural disasters have been affecting people since history began. From destructive weather patterns and storms to rapidly spreading diseases and fires, not all disasters are preventable.
But even when they can’t be prevented, preparedness can make the difference between life and death so that everyone can survive and thrive after an event.
Get Ready Day was first established in the mid-2000s by the American Public Health Association (APHA) in the United States. The day always takes place on a Tuesday, allowing for schools, workplaces and other organizations to make the most out of the day and gain access to the most people.
As part of the Get Ready Campaign put on by APHA, Get Ready Day serves as a reminder for folks to make sure that they, as well as their family members or employees, are ready with all of the resources and information they need should they encounter a natural disaster, infectious disease or other situation.
How to Celebrate Get Ready Day
Get ready for Get Ready Day! Brush up, make some plans and get on board with the day by enjoying some of these activities:
Host a Get Ready Day Event
Planning an event for Get Ready Day is a perfect way to bring attention to the day and the serious nature of being prepared for any type of crisis.
This can be done by individuals to discuss suitable emergency plans with friends and families, or organized by neighborhood watch groups, community organizations, government agencies like fire departments, educational groups and many others.
Schools, colleges, and community centers can also host talks to distribute literature and give advice on the best ways to prepare for potential dangers and disasters.
Create an Emergency Plan
Each household, school, business and other location can respond better to disasters when they are prepared.
Get Ready Day encourages families and small businesses to make sure they have emergency kits and evacuation plans, as well as practicing drills for fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and more.
Take this opportunity to pack an emergency kit with items like flashlights with extra batteries, first aid supplies, water, shelf stable food items, fire extinguisher, whistle, blankets, radio, face masks and various other items that would be useful in an emergency.
Don’t forget to be prepared with items for pets or babies in families that have them.
Take an Emergency Readiness Class
One super way to serve family members, neighbors and the local community in honor of Get Ready Day might be to take a course that offers skills that can be used in an emergency.
This might mean getting certified in CPR, training for emergency evacuation procedures of large buildings, active shooter response preparedness, first aid training and a variety of other useful courses that could come in handy.
Some communities offer these types of emergency preparedness courses for free through their fire department or other emergency group, while others might need to pay a small fee to get certified in such a course.
Online classes may also be a viable and simple option.
Access Online Tools for Get Ready Day Events
The APHA Get Ready website has a wealth of information to help those that are interested in hosting a Get Ready Day event in their community.
This page includes helpful tools such as printable infographics, social media share-ables, and much more. Topics range from how to prepare for summer storms to best practices for hand washing and so much more.
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