September is National Preparedness Month, an annual observance used to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for disasters and emergencies. The Norwalk Health Department, alongside our City officials, community partners, and volunteers work hard all year-long to prepare for a range of emergencies and disasters to best protect our residents. 

As we enter the Fall season, disasters such as hurricanes, flooding, lightning, and thunder will become more prevalent. The Health Department also uses the Fall to prepare and plan for an increase in illness such as influenza and COVID-19. Now is the time to plan ahead and ensure you are ready to protect yourself, your family, pets, neighbors, and home from disaster. Strategies to help you prepare include:   

• Build an emergency kit. Build a kit with everything you and your family need in the event of an emergency. Include items such as non-perishable foods, water, batteries, flashlights, radio, first aid kit, and more! https://www.ready.gov/kit 
• Plan ahead. Come together with your family, and even neighbors, to create a plan for emergencies. Considering special needs your family might have, important numbers or locations to know, evacuation routes, and what to do with pets ahead of time can help in the face of an unexpected emergency. https://www.ready.gov/plan   
• Stay up to date. Stay prepared by signing up for the City of Norwalk’s Emergency Alert System. The Code Red Notification service will notify residents of situations that could impact the safety, property, or welfare of citizens such as severe weather warnings and updates and hazardous road conditions or traffic within the City. To add your contact information to the database, please visit https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/7E98E6D7E0D9.
• Join our Volunteer Emergency Response Team (ERT). The ERT is a diverse group of adults who live or work in Norwalk and help our Health Department staff prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. We are currently recruiting our next group of ERT volunteers! If you’re interested in joining the ERT, visit https://www.norwalkct.gov/1637/Volunteer. ERT orientation and trainings are set to begin in October 2023.    

Preparing for disasters and emergencies before they happen can make all the difference. For more information and resources on how to best plan and prepare for emergencies and disasters, visit https://www.ready.gov/.