Physical fitness is of utmost importance to live a long and healthy life, but so is protecting yourself and your loved ones. This year we’ve all seen the severe weather across our country, along with the natural disasters throughout the world. So today I’m taking a detour from my fitness quest and asking each of you to begin getting more prepared to protect you and your family – just in case. This FEMA Handbook will help you learn how to be more prepared.

Here is a brief description directly from the FEMA website describing this handbook.

Are You Ready? – An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (IS-22) is FEMA’s most comprehensive source on individual, family, and community preparedness. The guide has been revised, updated, and enhanced in August 2004 to provide the public with the most current and up-to-date disaster preparedness information available.

Are You Ready? provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their local area, and how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit. Other topics covered include evacuation, emergency public shelters, animals in disaster, and information specific to people with disabilities.

Are You Ready? also provides in-depth information on specific hazards including what to do before, during, and after each hazard type. The following hazards are covered: Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms and Lightning, Winter Storms and Extreme Cold, Extreme Heat, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Landslide and Debris Flows (Mudslide), Tsunamis, Fires, Wildfires, Hazardous Materials Incidents, Household Chemical Emergencies, Nuclear Power Plant, and Terrorism (including Explosion, Biological, Chemical, Nuclear, and Radiological hazards).

Go to http:www.fema.gov/areyouready/ to download this very valuable handbook.

Enjoy life and take care of your families and one another,

Madelyn