drj logo

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Zip Code*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
Strength indicator
I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy*
Yes, of course I want to receive emails from DRJ!
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Already have an account? Log in

drj logo

Welcome to DRJ

Already registered user? Please login here

Login Form

Register
Forgot password? Click here to reset

Create new account
(it's completely free). Subscribe

x
DRJ Fall 2025 Dallas Show
Skip to content
Disaster Recovery Journal
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • SIGN IN
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • THE JOURNAL
    • Why Subscribe to DRJ
    • Digital Edition
    • Article Submission
    • DRJ Annual Resource Directories
    • Article Archives
    • Career Spotlight
  • EVENTS
    • DRJ Fall 2025
    • DRJ Spring 2026 Call for Papers
    • DRJ Scholarship
    • Other Industry Events
    • Schedule & Archive
    • Send Your Feedback
  • WEBINARS
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • On Demand
  • MENTOR PROGRAM
  • DRJ ACADEMY
    • DRJ Academy
    • Beginner’s Guide to BC
  • RESOURCES
    • New to Business Continuity?
    • White Papers
    • DR Rules and Regs
    • Planning Groups
    • Business Resilience Decoded
    • DRJ Glossary of Business Continuity Terms
    • Careers
  • ABOUT
    • Advertise with DRJ
    • DEI
    • Board and Committees
      • Executive Council Members
      • Editorial Advisory Board
      • Career Development Committee
      • Glossary Committee
      • Rules and Regulations Committee
  • Podcast

FEMA Announces National Preparedness Month, Urges All to ‘Prepare to Protect’ Before Disasters Strike

by Jon Seals | September 2, 2021 | | 0 comments

National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.”

September is National Preparedness Month, an annual observance to remind all Americans how important it is for individuals, families and communities to be prepared for disasters and emergencies that can happen at any time.

This year’s theme is Prepare to Protect and highlights how preparing for disaster is to protect everyone you love. This year, Ready Campaign shifted its focus in support of President Biden’s Executive Order on Racial Equity and FEMA’s new strategy for cultural competence that includes empowering historically underserved communities to prepare for a disaster.

For the first time ever, the agency will feature a series of public service advertisements™ (PSAs) designed to resonate with Latino communities and beyond that will launch during National Hispanic Heritage Month. In fact, the theme “Prepare to Protect” which carries universal meaning and significance, was established based on research and focus groups with Latino communities led by the Ad Councilthat highlighted the idea of protecting one’s family as a prime motivator to prepare for a disaster. The PSAs, in Spanish and English, will air during hurricane season and as wildfires continue to impact several states. 

“Today marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month, as we’re already in the height of a very active hurricane season, while wildfire threats to communities are increasing daily,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Now is the time that everyone should have a conversation with their family, neighbors or loved ones to discuss what you would do in the event of a disaster in your area. Use the resources on Ready.gov or Listo.gov to make sure you have taken the steps to get prepared.”

Also, everyone should sign up to receive local alerts and warning on your mobile phone. Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations nationwide and have the steps to prepare for disaster with you at all times to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Each week during National Preparedness Month will focus on a theme with easy-to-follow steps that individuals and families can take to enhance their emergency preparedness efforts. This year’s weekly themes include:

  • Week 1: September 1-4: Make A Plan. 
  • Week 2: September 5-11: Build A Kit.
  • Week 3: September 12-18: Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness.
  • Week 4: September 19-25: Teach Youth About Preparedness.

Notable National Preparedness Month events:

  • In partnership with the American Red Cross, FEMA will co-host a “Prepare with Pedro” day. The day will highlight the “Prepare with Pedro” activity book on social media and encourage youth to help their families prepare for a disaster by building a kit and making a plan.
  • FEMA will publish the “2020 National Household Survey” full dataset on Open FEMA. The survey tracks progress in personal disaster preparedness through insights on Americans’ preparedness actions, attitudes and motivations.
  • Region 1 is hosting a “Talk Shop” on Sept. 9 via Zoom for faith-based organizations, and how they can include themselves in emergency management and better serve their communities during disasters.
  • Region 2 is hosting FEMA “Ready Games” each Wednesday in September. The region encourages participants from the whole community to join the fun and learn about resilience, youth readiness, emergency management and the FEMA CERT program through bingo, trivia and much more.
  • Regions 3, 4, 8 and 10 to host “Spaces” live conversations on Twitter throughout the month highlighting Tribal Nation preparedness, general preparedness and disability integration.
  • Region 4 is hosting an online training for disability integration and accessibility stakeholders. The training is designed to help community-based organizations create a disaster response plan so they can stay open during disasters.
  • Region 10 is hosting a “Virtual Family Prep Night,” an interactive event aimed to include the entire family in talking about and preparing for disasters.

Ready.gov/September has free resources online, including social media content in multiple languages, for public use. Help spread the word of how to be prepared for disasters and emergencies before they happen. For more information, visit Ready.gov and Listo.gov.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs:

  •  Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
  •  Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
  •  Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
  •  Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov

Follow Us 

Follow Ready on social media: Facebook and Twitter. 

Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on Twitter, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel. 

Also, follow Administrator Deanne Criswell on Twitter @FEMA_Deanne.

Mission

Helping people before, during, and after disasters.

  • FEMA_Advisory_FEMA_Announces_National_Preparedness_Month_20210901.pdf

Related Content

  1. Disaster Recovery Journal
    Update on 2019 National Preparedness Month
  2. Disaster Recovery Journal
    Counting on Disaster: What Every Financial Institution Should Know
  3. Public & Private Sector Collaboration is Critical for an Organization’s Preparedness

Recent Posts

Securing Your Last Line of Defense — Part 2: Backup Data Security

July 18, 2025

Mark43 Expands UK Presence with New Manchester Office

July 17, 2025

Lansweeper Acquires Redjack, Strengthening its Position as the Global Leader in Technology Asset Intelligence

July 17, 2025

Microsoft Highlights Long-Time Partner Visus After it Helps Santa Barbara County Surveyor’s Office Digitize Slow-Moving Paper Processes

July 17, 2025

Zimperium Warns of Surge in Mobile Cyber Threats as Summer Travel Heats Up

July 17, 2025

Strata Identity Introduces Maverics Identity Orchestration for AI Agents to Secure, Control, and Observe Agentic Behaviors

July 17, 2025

Archives

  • July 2025 (41)
  • June 2025 (54)
  • May 2025 (59)
  • April 2025 (91)
  • March 2025 (57)
  • February 2025 (47)
  • January 2025 (73)
  • December 2024 (82)
  • November 2024 (41)
  • October 2024 (87)
  • September 2024 (61)
  • August 2024 (65)
  • July 2024 (48)
  • June 2024 (55)
  • May 2024 (70)
  • April 2024 (79)
  • March 2024 (65)
  • February 2024 (73)
  • January 2024 (66)
  • December 2023 (49)
  • November 2023 (80)
  • October 2023 (67)
  • September 2023 (53)
  • August 2023 (72)
  • July 2023 (45)
  • June 2023 (61)
  • May 2023 (50)
  • April 2023 (60)
  • March 2023 (69)
  • February 2023 (54)
  • January 2023 (71)
  • December 2022 (54)
  • November 2022 (59)
  • October 2022 (66)
  • September 2022 (72)
  • August 2022 (65)
  • July 2022 (66)
  • June 2022 (53)
  • May 2022 (55)
  • April 2022 (60)
  • March 2022 (65)
  • February 2022 (50)
  • January 2022 (46)
  • December 2021 (39)
  • November 2021 (38)
  • October 2021 (39)
  • September 2021 (50)
  • August 2021 (77)
  • July 2021 (63)
  • June 2021 (42)
  • May 2021 (43)
  • April 2021 (50)
  • March 2021 (60)
  • February 2021 (16)
  • January 2021 (554)
  • December 2020 (30)
  • November 2020 (35)
  • October 2020 (48)
  • September 2020 (57)
  • August 2020 (52)
  • July 2020 (40)
  • June 2020 (72)
  • May 2020 (46)
  • April 2020 (59)
  • March 2020 (46)
  • February 2020 (28)
  • January 2020 (36)
  • December 2019 (22)
  • November 2019 (11)
  • October 2019 (36)
  • September 2019 (44)
  • August 2019 (77)
  • July 2019 (117)
  • June 2019 (106)
  • May 2019 (49)
  • April 2019 (47)
  • March 2019 (24)
  • February 2019 (37)
  • January 2019 (12)
  • ARTICLES & NEWS

    • Business Continuity
    • Disaster Recovery
    • Crisis Management & Communications
    • Risk Management
    • Article Archives
    • Industry News

    THE JOURNAL

    • Digital Edition
    • Advertising & Media Kit
    • Submit an Article
    • Career Spotlight

    RESOURCES

    • White Papers
    • Rules & Regulations
    • FAQs
    • Glossary of Terms
    • Industry Groups
    • Business & Resource Directory
    • Business Resilience Decoded
    • Careers

    EVENTS

    • Fall 2025
    • Spring 2025

    WEBINARS

    • Watch Now
    • Upcoming

    CONTACT

    • Article Submission
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us

    ABOUT DRJ

    Disaster Recovery Journal is the industry’s largest resource for business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis management, and risk management, reaching a global network of more than 138,000 professionals. Offering weekly webinars, the latest industry news, rules and regulations, podcasts, the industry’s only official mentoring program, a quarterly magazine, and two annual live conferences, DRJ is leading the way to keep professionals up-to-date and connected in an ever-changing world.

    LEARN MORE

    LINKEDIN AND TWITTER

    Disaster Recovery Journal is the leading publication/event covering business continuity/disaster recovery.

    Follow us for daily updates

    LinkedIn

    @drjournal

    Newsletter

    The Journal, right in your inbox.

    Be informed and stay connected by getting the latest in news, events, webinars and whitepapers on Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery.

    Subscribe Now
    Copyright 2025 Disaster Recovery Journal
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

    Register to win a Free Pass to DRJ Fall 2025 | Building Resiliency Through Innovation

    Leave your details below for a chance to win a free pass to DRJ Fall 2025 | Building Resiliency Through Innovation. The winner will be announced on August 11. Join us for DRJ’s 73rd Conference!

    Enter Now