We are very excited about 1-800-PREPARE being mentioned in this Sunday’s issue of The New York Times. The story was about what some companies in the New York area were doing in the preparedness space to help individuals and companies get better prepared. While there are a number of companies in the space we are honored that the Times selected ours to mention.

Preparedness is slowly becoming a more forefront topic in the eyes of the public and we are happy that we have been recognized for our efforts in the space.

Here is a link to the article:

When most of us have children we immediately think about the need to protect our child from “dangers” in the home. It seems to be a maternal/paternal instinct to protect our young. From almost the moment we bring our new baby home we begin the process of “child proofing”.

This can include putting up gates on stairwells, moving cleaning supplies to higher shelves, locking cabinets, covering outlets and even putting monitors in the room so we can keep an eye on everything. Most new parents also take at least a basic course in infant CPR. From car seats to hand wipes to checking toys for choking hazards….we are great at getting and staying prepared.

So…why is it that we are so good at “preparedness” when it comes to our newborns but not in the rest of our lives? Our children get a little older and down comes all the protection and we no longer think about and prepare for all the things that could happen. How can we continue to focus and make preparedness and constant and normal part of our everyday life?

Beyond the “big events” such as Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Massive Floods, Wildfires, etc….there are literally dozens of things that can happen on a daily basis to anyone of us that we can be better prepared for.

*Small or large car accident – see our Auto Emergency Kits

*Flip and Fall

*Choking

*Blackout due to storm or other event – Blackout Kits

*Injury at a sporting event

*House or Vehicle Fire

*Accidental Poisoning

*Robbery or Mugging

*Simple vehicle breakdown

*Carbon Monoxide Alarm

The list above isn’t meant to make anyone panic or instill fear. It is simply meant to show that there are events that can happen to all of us and if we take a little time to prepare for them…we will all be a little better off.

Lets take the same effort we do when we consider preparing for a new child and translate it to the rest of our lives.

On Thursday I had the pleasure of appearing on WOR 9 news to discuss preparedness in relation to Hurricane Earl. The question asked was…”are we prepared for the hurricane”.

Here is a clip of the piece:

http://www.my9tv.com/dpp/my9_news/take_it_on/Take-It-On-The-Big-One

As many of you know…September is National Preparedness Month. This is a great time to think about your personal preparedness level. If you happen to be someone who has already taken many of the important steps to better preparedness…this is a great chance to help and encourage others to do the same. While the government and others in the emergency preparedness space continue to preach the message….it is often when we hear it from a family member or friend that we actually listen and take action.

If you are doing something special during National Preparedness Month or if you have helped a family member, friend or member of your community get better prepared…please share you story with us. Anyone who submits a story will receive a 20% off coupon code for anything purchased on our site 1800prepare.com.

This is also a good time to thank someone who serves in our rescue community. Take a moment to let a firefighter, EMT, police officer or other first responder know how much you appreciate what they do. They are all true heroes.