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			 The campaign’s theme, ‘Don’t Wait. Communicate. Make Your 
			Emergency Plan Today’, urges people to set aside time to discuss 
			emergency plans with family members and develop a plan to stay safe 
			when disaster strikes. The month-long preparedness drive will 
			conclude on September 30 with ‘American’s PrepareAthon,’ a national 
			day of action. 
 “Severe weather and other disasters can’t be prevented, and many 
			occur without much warning,” said IEMA Director James K. Joseph. “We 
			saw that happen last December with heavy rains and widespread 
			flooding that claimed 10 lives and drove many people from their 
			homes with little notice. Taking a few minutes now on your emergency 
			plan could be a true life saver during an emergency.”
 
			 
			Throughout September, IEMA will offer tips and information on how to 
			develop a family emergency communication plan, assemble an emergency 
			supply kit, as well as ways to receive critical emergency warnings.
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IEMA offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website (www.Ready.Illinois. 
gov), a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, 
during and after disasters. 
 In addition, throughout September IEMA will post daily preparedness tips on the 
Ready Illinois Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (@ReadyIllinois).
 
 During disasters, IEMA uses the Ready Illinois website, Facebook and Twitter 
pages to provide critical information about the incident, including shelter 
locations, road closures, safety information, photos and more.
 
				 
			[Patti Thompson, Illinois Emergency 
			Management Agency] |