New Air Force campaign helps Airmen "Be Ready" if disaster strikes Published Sept. 21, 2011 By Robert Genova HQ AFCESA/CEXR HQ AFCESA, Tyndall AFB, Fla. -- Do you have an emergency plan? Will you "Be Ready" if disaster strikes? Recent natural disasters -- hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes -- affecting bases and communities emphasize that you should be. Becoming prepared should now be easier. The Air Force Emergency Management's Be Ready Awareness Campaign features a new website and products designed to raise awareness and promote readiness on military installations and within local communities. Emergency Management planners are hoping the messages will educate both military personnel and civilians about common home or workplace hazards and encourage them to begin their emergency planning to protect themselves and their loved ones in the event of disaster. "Military, civilians, contractors -- really anyone living or working on a base -- needs to know about the types of emergencies or hazards they might face and what they can do to survive them," said Fred Casale, Chief of Emergency Management Support at the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. "Historically, Air Force Emergency Managers did not have a formally recognized program that pushed information to the public. Our goal is for everyone to 'get a kit, make a plan, and be prepared,' and the Be Ready Awareness Campaign provides a variety of tools and resources to help Airmen and members of the public do just that." The Air Force Emergency Preparedness Guide is a 64-page handbook, which includes removable sheets for key resources, phone numbers and helpful sites. It also contains an emergency supply kit checklist and a template to help families develop an emergency plan. The guide is available through the base emergency management office or the "Be Ready" website. Emergency Management planners have also created a series of awareness posters reinforcing basic messages about individual preparedness. Look for them in places like your base exchange, bowling alley, and other public or unit common areas. The promotional products used in the campaign are an affordable means for the installation emergency management office to publicize hazard and basic awareness information. Part of the campaign, "Be Ready Kids," is just for children. It includes several activity sheets educating two groups, ages 4 to 7 and 8 to 11, about a variety of emergency and disaster situations. The sheets use easily understood disaster terms, and present safety messages and preparedness practices using crossword and word search puzzles, matching games, decoder puzzles, mazes, and more. For more information about the Air Force Emergency Management Be Ready Awareness Campaign, call or visit your local Emergency Management Office or go to http://www.BeReady.af.mil. Most importantly, "get a kit, make a plan, and be prepared!"