September offers a wide range of public health awareness events for local health departments (LHDs) and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Units to get involved in, so why should September’s National Preparedness Month be a priority? The answer is simple: preparedness work is a big part of what public health officials and volunteers do. But although LHD and MRC Unit preparedness efforts are extremely valuable, they often lack the necessary capacity and support to fully prepare agencies to respond to all emergencies, and sometimes go unnoticed altogether. National Preparedness Month, an annual effort led by one of NACCHO’s largest national partners, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), presents an opportunity for LHDs and MRC Units to showcase this important work and engage their partners and community members in preparedness activities.

Head over to NACCHO’s Preparedness Brief blog to learn more about how your local health department can get involved in National Preparedness Month.