Sign up for the City’s Community Disaster Education Course

September is National Preparedness Month. A time to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. What better month to take action? Sign up today for the City’s Community Disaster Education (CDE) course, offered in English and Spanish.

A CDE is a free, one-hour introductory course for groups of 10 or more that teaches residents how to become more prepared in the event of a disaster. A CDE course can be held anywhere and during most hours; during a lunch break, after hours at a Homeowners Association (HOA) meeting, or at a weekend community gathering. Attendees will learn about multiple topics such as what is expected following a disaster, what they can do to prepare their home and workplace, how to build an emergency bag, and more. Watch our video in English (https://youtu.be/DSCGjSCobck) or Spanish (https://youtu.be/4soLo-9amC4). Sign up for a CDE on the City website at www.CityofGoleta.org/CDE.

This National Preparedness Month, the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management encourages community members to take the following actions during September:

• Make or Update Your Disaster Plan: Creating a disaster plan is an essential part of preparing your family for a disaster or emergency. Discussing what you will do before, during and after an emergency will empower your family to take control of their own safety and survival during a disaster.
• Build or Refresh Your Disaster Supply Kit: Ensure you have basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. When building your kit remember to factor in medications and mobility or assistive devices that you depend on. Since you do not know where you will be when an emergency occurs, prepare supplies for home, work and vehicles.
• Make Sure Your Pets Are Included: Your pets are an important member of your family, so they need to be included in your family’s emergency plan. Advance planning is often needed for large animals, including transportation and sheltering in the event of an evacuation.
• Meet Your Neighbors: During a disaster, knowing your neighbors and any special considerations they may have can be lifesaving.
• Sign Up For ReadySBC Alerts: In order to receive these official messages from the County, you must sign up for alerts. If you’re already signed up, confirm or update your account information this month.
• Get Familiar With ReadySBC.org: Learn more about local hazards and how to best prepare for yourself and your loved ones.

In addition to signing up for ReadySBC alerts, sign up for emergency notifications from the City of Goleta at http://tinyurl.com/goletaemergency.

Learn more about National Preparedness Month, and how to make sure you and your family are prepared, at https://www.ready.gov/september.