Get Involved

There are many ways to Get Involved especially before a disaster occurs. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Learn first aid, join a Community Emergency Response Team in your community, donate to a reputable organization of your choice, and volunteer to respond to disasters and help your fellow Americans. Visit NVOAD.org to learn more.
  • Volunteer and receive training to support disaster and preparedness efforts in your community.
  • Teach preparedness curriculum in your school. Download everything you need for grades K-12 through our Ready Kids program.
  • Promote preparedness online by sharing preparedness tips on your social media account with Ready’s online social media toolkit or public service announcements
  • Take a free online independent study course through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute and gain more knowledge to help your community become more prepared.

Until Help Arrives

You Are the Help Until Help Arrives (Until Help Arrives), designed by FEMA, are trainings that can be taken online or in-person, where participants learn to take action and, through simple steps, potentially can save a life before professional help arrives. The program encourages the public to take these five steps when there is an emergency.

  • Call 9-1-1;

  • Protect the injured from harm;

  • Stop bleeding;

  • Position the injured so they can breathe; and

  • Provide comfort.

Community Emergency Response Team

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates individuals about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Youth Preparedness

As of May 2014, according to the National Center for Education Statistics there is a total of 69.6 million children in school or child care in the United States. Emergencies and disasters can happen at any time, often without warning, where you may not be together with your children.

Starting or getting involved with a youth preparedness program is a great way to enhance a community’s resilience and help develop future generations of prepared adults.

Prepareathon

FEMA’s Prepareathon motivates people and communities to take action to prepare for and protect themselves against disasters. Its chief goals are to increase the number of people who:

  • Understand which disasters could affect their community
  • Know what to do to stay safe
  • Take action to increase preparedness
  • Improve their ability to recover from a disaster
  • Learn more about Prepareathon