President George W. Bush

September is National Preparedness Month

President George W. Bush has proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month.

In making his announcement the President called on all U.S. citizens to recognize the importance of being ready for potential emergencies.

He also asked citizens to observe this month by participating in appropriate events, activities, and preparedness programs.

The President went on to say that protecting America's homeland and its citizens is the shared responsibility of the entire Nation.

He said that individuals can prepare themselves and their families for emergencies by taking simple steps such as organizing an emergency supply kit, making a personal preparedness plan, becoming informed about different threats, and getting involved in preparing their community. The President says that these activities create a culture of preparedness and can help save lives.

For our world of Amateur Radio, the President's words have special meaning. This is because ham radio continues to prove its worth each time a disaster situation brings down a region's established communications infrastructure.

Being non-centralized and having no common point of failure means that ham radio emergency communications can continue to operate when all else fails as it did on 9 11 2001 in New York and two years ago in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina.

Source: ARNewsline