[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13223-13224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

  (Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, after 9/11, September became 
National Preparedness Month, a month to encourage Americans to take 
steps to prepare for disasters or emergencies in their homes, 
businesses and communities.
  Recent events such as Hurricane Sandy; the Boston Marathon bombing; 
the West, Texas, plant explosion; deadly tornados in Oklahoma; and 
flooding in my own district reinforce the need for preparedness 
planning.
  As chair of the Homeland Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Response, and Communications, and as congressional cochair of National 
Preparedness Month, I urge all Members to promote preparedness 
activities in their districts. Encourage your constituents to build and 
maintain emergency kits, develop and exercise emergency plans, and 
participate in local preparedness activities.

[[Page 13224]]

  I also urge Members to learn more about how local response 
organizations are using social media and encourage your constituents to 
follow local responders on Twitter and Facebook.
  National Preparedness Month is also a good time to thank our 
firefighters, police officers, emergency managers, and their families, 
whose persistent sacrifices make our country more secure and more 
prepared.

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