September is National Preparedness Month. The Cooperative Extension Service, through EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network), is a partner in this month-long campaign.

The goal of this campaign, as stated by its co-sponsors (U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross), is to encourage communities and businesses to take steps to prepare for emergencies.

As an Extension professional with support from EDEN, you have the opportunity to play an active role in this campaign by educating various audiences about the importance of disaster preparedness.

Customized educational and promotional materials for National Preparedness Month are available on the EDEN Web site at www.EDEN.lsu.edu/npm. These materials have been created with you, the end user, in mind as many of the pieces can be personalized with your own identity.

Keep in mind that some of these promotional materials refer citizens to their state and local emergency managers for information about local hazards and to get involved in Citizen Corps or other volunteer efforts. Therefore, when using these materials, it is strongly recommended that you coordinate your National Preparedness Month efforts and messages with local emergency managers.

Please feel free to use any of the available materials, maintaining the non-discrimination statement, existing attributions and logos. These materials include:

• Press release
• Two editorials
• Fact sheet
• Talking points
• Placemat
• Preparedness quiz
• Campaign graphics
• PowerPoint presentation
• Email template

Your individual partnership in this campaign is greatly appreciated. As Extension professionals, we are proud to be a reliable source when it comes to disaster education.