Prepared, not paranoid

September is National Preparedness Month. I hope all ITD employees will take a few minutes to review their plans, and think ahead about readiness not only at work, but at home and when they are travelling.

READY.Gov has steps you can take to improve your overall readiness (which includes children and pets) and is a good start – very basic.

Know the hazards and issues you may encounter based on your work location, commute and the area around your home.

I like the slogan for this year — Prepared not Scared! It comes down to common sense - plan, exercise and review the plan regularly, but remember “The best- laid plans of mice and man often go awry." No matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong. So, although a checklist or a plan is a good start, remember it takes a preparedness mindset (Common Sense) to really make a difference.

So take a few minutes and talk about it with your family, friends, co-workers, or dog (or cats or fish, if that's where you are).

And think about your course of action for the most likely event to happen in your world. Walk through it both in your mind and with your feet. At ITD, look at the readiness boards, review the area you go to when there is an evacuation, and if we have an active assailant what would you do?

Published 09-06-19