September Is National Preparedness Month [AUDIO]

What if another hurricane struck the Garden State? What would you do during a nuclear emergency or an earthquake? Are you prepared?

September is National Preparedness Month and officials all across New Jersey want you to be ready for anything.

The name of the campaign this year is "Resolve to be Ready." It's a public awareness initiative that encourages individuals and community leaders to take action in case of a disaster either natural or man made. In the past, the Garden State has had it's share of issues that we needed to be ready for.

One, in particular, was Hurricane Irene which hit the Jersey Shore a year ago. We learned an awful lot about the importance of pre-planning but the message sometimes doesn't get through.

Lieutenant Keith Klements is with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department. He says "the 2012 Resolve to be Ready campaign suggests simple steps to prepare your family, your home, your business, and your community in the face of potential disaster. It is vital for the safety and well being of you and your loved ones to make sure you have battle plans ready to go if something was to happen."

Ocean County Health Officials say "this is the time to think about basic needs that you, your family and your pets will need in advance of an emergency; how will you communicate, what supplies you need to keep in your home, car, or office. The more you know about what to do in an emergency, the more confident and secure you will feel in your abilities to manage through a disaster. You can begin by taking these steps:

• Be informed. Know the risks and hazards in your area and learn what you need to do to get ready for them.
• Make a family emergency plan. This way you know how you would communicate with and find your loved ones if a disaster hit. Do you know how to reach your children if they are in school or your spouse if they are at work? If you needed to evacuate, do you have a place that you will go?
• Build an emergency supply kit. You need these for home and in the car, which includes water, food, and first aid supplies to help you survive if you lost power or get stranded in your car.
• Get Involved. Be an advocate and educator for safety and emergency preparedness within your community.

Using modern-day technology can help families prepare, adapt and recover from disruptions brought on by emergencies or disasters. FEMA reminds all Americans to implement the following in advance of an emergency:

• Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contact, in case voice communicates are not available.
• Store you important documents such as personal and financial records on a secure and remote area or flash drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere.

There's more information on how to get ready at ready.gov