September is National Preparedness Month, and members of the Pennyrile Regional Citizens Corps Council are using the occasion to re-emphasize the need to be prepared for emergencies at home, at work and at school.

The regional Citizen Corps council serves the nine counties in the Pennyrile Area Development District, with a mission of having every citizen create a preparedness kit, create a preparedness plan and volunteer in their community.

And the preparedness factor, said Citizens Corps training committee member Raymond Giannini, does not apply only to large-scale emergencies.

“We can have everyday events, like household fires, where being prepared with evacuation routes, having smoke detectors, is always a good thing to do,” he said. “It’s a benefit day in and day out, not just in a major disaster.”

Training offered through the Citizen Corps to interested volunteers comes in five areas: Neighborhood Watch, Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), the Medical Reserve Corps and the Fire Corps.

Four training sessions were offered throughout 2006 to Citizens Corps council members and any other interested citizens in the region. Additional training sessions are planned.

The council, chaired by Dan Nicholson, oversees all training activities. David Hazelmyer serves as the regional training coordinator.

The CERT program, in particular, will be a focus in Caldwell County next year, said Giannini. The goal for the year is to implement CERT activities in the county to bring it up to speed with the three or four other CERT programs currently established in the Pennyrile.

Information on the local Citizens Corps can be found on the PADD Web site at www.peadd.org/planning/hs/cc/default.aspx.

The council also promotes www.ready.gov, the Department of Homeland Security’s preparedness Web site, which offers extensive information on emergency kits and plans.

A basic emergency supply kit should include:

• Three-day supplies of non-perishable food and water, a gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.

• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA weather radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both.

• A flashlight and extra batteries, a first aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, a dust mask to help filter contaminated air, and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.

• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a can opener for food, and local maps.

Additional items to consider include: prescription medications and glasses, infant formula and diapers, pet food and water, important family documents, cash or traveler’s checks and change, emergency reference material, sleeping bags and blankets, changes of clothing, bleach and a medicine dropper, a fire extinguisher, matches in a waterproof container, feminine supplies, personal hygiene items, mess kits, paper cups and plates, plastic utensils, paper towels, paper and pencil, books, games, puzzles and/or other children’s activities.

The Citizens Corps Web site, www.citizenscorps.gov, also offers immediate suggestions to improve safety.

Tips include: checking and changing batteries in smoke alarms and replacing alarms more than 10 years old; knowing the locations of the local hospital, police and fire stations and posting a list of emergency phone numbers near all telephones; organizing and practicing a family fire drill;

Locating utility mains in the home and knowing how to turn them off manually; creating an emergency plan, including areas to meet outside the home and outside the neighborhood; preparing a disaster supply kit; planning to hold a Neighborhood Watch meeting; and checking the expiration dates of all over-the-counter medications.