The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) is gearing up for National Preparedness Month (NPM).

NPM is a nationwide effort held in September of each year to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools.

"Our goal is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action before disaster strikes," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.

This will be the seventh NPM which will focus on important preparedness steps including:

 - Get an Emergency Supply Kit
 - Make a Family Emergency Plan
 - Be Informed
 - Get Involved

NPM is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign which works with more than 3,200 national, regional, state and local government organizations to highlight the importance of public emergency preparedness throughout September.

HCOHSEM provides thousands of disaster preparedness brochures and hundreds of presentations each year, and NPM is an excellent opportunity for residents to receive this life-saving information.

Go to the HCOHSEM Web site http://www.hcoem.org/ for preparedness tips, or click on the following link to download a Hurricane Preparedness brochure http://www.hcoem.org/documents/Hurricanebrochure.pdf.

Details about NPM and the Ready Campaign are available at http://www.ready.gov/ or by calling 1-800-BE-READY.