City of Foster City Celebrates National Preparedness Month
For Immediate Release: August 31, 2020
Contact: Jenelle Masterson, Emergency Services Manager, (650) 522-7960, prepare@smcfire.org
September is National Preparedness Month! The City of Foster City will celebrate National Preparedness Month 2020 in partnership with the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department by sharing emergency preparedness tips throughout the month on social media channels, holding a drawing for a personal preparedness kit valued at over $60 for community members who participate in the National Preparedness Month Survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020NPM), and encouraging community members to learn life-saving skills in their upcoming CERT course starting on September 9, 2020. The celebration of National Preparedness Month will culminate with additional activities during Fire Prevention Week from October 4–10th, 2020.
Every September since 2004, America has celebrated National Preparedness Month. This year’s theme is “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” With this theme, we are reminded that we need to take action now to prepare for the unknown impacts a disaster may bring. It is essential that we make every effort to prepare now and throughout the course of the year for any type of emergency as anything could affect where we live, work, and play. This month’s goal is to spur preparedness in communities across the country in a nationwide effort to educate individuals, families and organizations of how vital of a role that personal preparedness has in executing an effective response and recovery to a natural and manmade disaster.
“This year’s celebration of National Preparedness Month is more relevant now than ever before. In addition to coping with COVID-19, we have dealt with heat waves, power outages, and wildfires that have affected our county and air quality in just the last two months,” says Jenelle Masterson, San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department’s Emergency Services Manager. “Foster City residents are reminded that they are not isolated from major disasters and should invest their time in making an emergency communications plan, assembling necessary items into an emergency kit, and obtaining basic disaster skills training through our free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program. When individuals and families are prepared to face disasters, our community as a whole is more equipped to respond and recover together.”
National Preparedness Month is just a calendar page away in September, so remember “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” Keep an eye on Foster City’s social media outlets for weekly preparedness tips. Sign up at www.SMCAlert.info to receive emergency alerts and notifications on your mobile devices. Looking to increase your skill set? The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department will kick off an online CERT course on September 9, 2020, which has been adapted to allow students to learn online with minimal in-person training. To register for course and to be informed of other upcoming online public education classes, like “Get Ready!” on September 17, 2020, visit www.smcfire.eventbrite.com.
For more information and other emergency preparedness resources, visit the Fire Department’s website, www.smcfire.org, or call the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department at (650) 522-7960.
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