NYC Plans National Preparedness Month For September

After a wild summer marked by both Hurricane Irene and a surprising earthquake scare, New York City officials have declared September as National Preparedness Month. The campaign is a nationwide effort urging people to take precautions in events such as the hurricane and also promotes volunteerism to help provide disaster relief.

Officials also announced the start of Ready New York, which will feature a series of public service announcements and ads aimed to encourage New Yorkers to take on simple tasks in order to help plan in the event of an emergency.

More than 150 businesses throughout the city have signed up to be Partners in Preparedness, according to the Office of Emergency Management's press release.

The campaign coincides with Mayor Bloomberg's 'Better Safe Than Sorry' approach to the Hurricane, which garnered praise from critics and city newspapers. Bloomberg's deployment of mandatory evacuations and an unprecedented mass transit shutdown are also credited to saving lives during the hurricane.

William Craig Fugate, FEMA's Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was also at hand when officials unveiled the new campaign Thursday. Fugate stressed the importance of communication and described how his family utilized Facebook to keep in touch during the DC earthquake.

So if you haven't already broken into your huge Irene stash of wine and tunafish, maybe hold on to it a little longer.