>> National Preparedness Month >> Kids Prepare America Contest >> Get Ready with Freddie! >> National Preparedness Month Checklist >> National Preparedness Month Checklist(Spanish) >> Disaster Preparedness Safety Tips

NEW HOME SAFETY COUNCIL® RESEARCH SHOWS MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN FEEL PREPARED FOR DISASTERS, BUT FEW HAVE TAKEN ACTION

Council Supports National Preparedness Month in September with New Initiatives Encouraging Kids and Families to Better Prepare for Emergency Situations

New research commissioned by the national nonprofit Home Safety Council (HSC) finds that while a majority of mothers have talked with their children about preparing for emergencies, very few have taken action to ensure that their family is prepared to respond in the event of an emergency. As part of its effort to underscore the importance of family readiness during National Preparedness Month, the Home Safety Council is releasing findings from the new survey which assesses how ready U.S. families really are when it comes to emergency situations.

The survey polled mothers and their children ages 6 to 11 and found that while nearly 60 percent of mothers feel their families are prepared for an emergency situation, less than one-third have developed and discussed a family communications plan. Alarmingly, even fewer families have assembled readiness kits. The children surveyed echo the same sentiment with 64 percent saying they think their family is prepared for an emergency, but only 27 percent reporting that their family has developed and discussed a communications plan or assembled readiness kits to use in an emergency situation.

“With our new research results showing that busy parents are not taking the basic steps needed to prepare their families for emergencies, it’s time to call on kids to take the lead in driving family readiness,” said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “Children can often be the catalyst for getting the whole family to take positive action, like developing a family communications plan and assembling emergency supplies kits. This fall, the Home Safety Council is debuting a host of new initiatives specifically to engage kids in preparedness activities.”

NEW HSC PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVES FOR KIDS

During National Preparedness Month in September, the Home Safety Council is introducing new programs to get children, parents, teachers and community educators involved and taking the actions needed to prepare for disasters:

The Kids Prepare America Contest

In September, the Home Safety Council is launching the Kids Prepare America Contest and calling on third and fourth grade students across America to take the lead in driving family readiness efforts at home. By showing the Home Safety Council what they have done to help prepare their families and communities, students can become eligible to win a trip to Washington, D.C. next summer. Ten Grand Prize Student Winners from across the country will be selected to visit the nation’s capital with an adult family member, teacher and safety partner from the community to attend an awards dinner on June 5, 2008 in their honor. Visit www.kidsprepareamerica.org for contest entry forms and rules.

Get Ready with Freddie! – Expanded Program Distribution

As the new school year starts, the Home Safety Council is re-distributing its successful disaster preparedness program for kids – Get Ready with Freddie!. The program will be distributed to every elementary school with a third and/or fourth grade classroom across the country, reaching a total of 13 million teachers, students and their families with important messages on developing a communications plan and assembling “Ready-to-Go” and “Ready-to-Stay” preparedness kits at home.

PREPAREDNESS TIPS FOR FAMILIES

No one knows when or where a disaster might strike, so families need to take time to prepare for emergencies in advance. The Home Safety Council advises families to have both a “Ready-to-Stay” and a “Ready-to-Go” Kit to ensure they are prepared for emergencies that require sheltering in place as well as for events that require evacuation.

Ready-to-Go Kit:

Every family needs to keep the following items in a backpack or duffle bag in order to be ready if an emergency situation forces them to leave home.

• One gallon of water per person
• Food that does not have to be refrigerated and a manual can opener
• Plastic/paper plates, cups and utensils
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-operated radio
• Change of clothes
• Card with your contact information and the number of someone out of state to call
• Pet food and supplies for one or more days
• Small first aid kit
• Personal identification card
• Personal hygiene items, soap and hand sanitizer
• Store medicine you usually take near your “Ready-to-Go” Kit

Ready-to-Stay Kit:

It is equally important for families to have extra supplies on-hand in the event an emergency situation forces them to remain in the home for several days. A “Ready-to-Stay” Kit contains all of the items in the “Ready-to-Go” Kit plus a few others. Prepare a “Ready-to-Stay” Kit with the following items stored in a plastic tub.

• Three gallons of water for each family member
• Canned food and snacks for at least three days and a manual can opener
• Pet food and supplies for three days
• Toilet paper
• Non-scented bleach
• Blankets
• Books and games to keep busy
• Paper and pencils

For more information on what you can do to help your family prepare for disaster, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

About the Home Safety Council

The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC.

Survey Methodology

Results are based on Internet surveys with a nationally representative sample of 6-11 year olds and their mothers recruited from Weekly Reader Research’s INSIDERS survey research community. 614 interviews were conducted with moms and one of their 6-11 year old children between August 3 and August 6, 2007. For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4.0 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. Random sampling procedures were employed to ensure that respondents accurately reflect the nations 24.7 million 6-11 year olds in terms of age, race/ethnicity, gender and census region.

About Weekly Reader Research

Weekly Reader Research is the premier youth and family survey research organization providing clients with a continuous stream of insights into the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs of America’s kids, tweens and teens (and their parents!) To learn more about Weekly Reader Research, please visit www.weeklyreaderresearch.com. Children and teens between the ages of 4 and 19 years of age can also earn points for great prizes by giving their opinions by registering at www.wrinsiders.com. The site is safe and COPPA compliant.