September is National Preparedness Month and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and its member governments are encouraging everyone in the region to plan ahead of emergencies. The 2020 theme is “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today” and promotes family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year.

“2020 has reinforced that we need to effectively prepare for emergencies that range from the simplest to the most catastrophic,” said Clint Osborn, Chief of Operations at the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (DC HSEMA), who serves as Chair of the COG Emergency Managers Committee. “On top of that, we have to be ready to manage multiple, simultaneous emergencies. The only way forward is to focus on preparedness to build all aspects of our community to respond to emergencies.”

Officials recommend developing an emergency plan, tailored to everyone’s daily living needs and responsibilities, as well as understanding which types of disasters could affect their area. It is important for people to discuss their needs and responsibilities with others and understand how people in your network can assist each other.

Information on making emergency plans is widely available on local government websites as well as FEMA’s https://www.ready.gov/plan site. People can also follow the hashtag #NatlPrep on social media for up-to-date info and share how they are preparing for emergencies.

Throughout 2020, the COG Emergency Managers Committee has been heavily involved in coordination efforts with partners across the National Capital Region (NCR) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their discussions have identified lessons learned and important takeaways in their response to this pandemic as well as ways to improve regional collaboration between member governments across the NCR.