Media Advisory: September is National Preparedness Month: Only 7% of Americans Have Taken the Necessary Steps to Prepare for Disasters

Red Cross Survey Indicates 82% of Americans Would Get Prepared if it Was Easier to Do

WASHINGTON, Thursday, August 30, 2007 —

VIDEO FEEDS: Thursday, August 30, from 2:30 – 2:45 PM ET

September is National Preparedness Month yet only 7% of Americans have taken the steps necessary to get prepared, according to the American Red Cross ¹ . Why? Many people just don't have the time. In fact, an American Red Cross survey indicates that 82% of Americans say they would get prepared if it were easier to do ². Additionally, among Americans who had not put together a disaster kit, 65% agreed that they would be more likely to have a kit if one were available for sale and contained basic items to get them started ³.

The Red Cross is using National Preparedness Month to urge every family to "Be Red Cross Ready": to get a kit, make a plan and be informed. One way the American Red Cross has made it easier for families to get prepared is by offering a variety of first aid, health, safety, and emergency preparedness items.

"We've tried to make it as simple as possible for everyone to get prepared," said Laura Howe, spokes-person for the Red Cross. "In purchasing these items, the public can feel good about not only preparing their families but also supporting the humanitarian mission of the Red Cross."

Red Cross items available to the public include first aid kits, disposable and heavy-duty work gloves, hand sanitizer, emergency preparedness kits, hand-crank radios, auto safety kits, and a variety of essential education guides. Additionally, the Red Cross has a line of infant health and wellness products that help par-ents get prepared, encouraging them to take Red Cross courses in infant first aid and CPR. These items are available online, at many Red Cross chapters, and at a variety of retail locations nationwide.

Proceeds from the sale of these items go directly back into supporting the mission of the organization. Over the last few months, the Red Cross has responded to meet the needs of thousands of disaster victims affected by severe summer floods in nine different states; every dollar helps.

The public is also invited to take a free online education module available at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady, which walks visitors through the three simple preparedness actions: to get a kit, make a plan and be informed.

This story is provided by the American Red Cross.

WHAT YOU’LL GET: News Package with B-Roll and soundbites
FOOTAGE: Red Cross first aid, health, safety and emergency preparedness items; a mom using some of the products and packing a preparedness kit; a dad using first aid kit items to help his daughter
SOUNDBITES: In English: Laura Howe, Spokesperson, American Red Cross. In Spanish: Ana R. Correa, Spokesperson, American Red Cross

VIA SATELLITE:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30       2:30 – 2:45 PM ET       GA 26, Tr. 11, DL 3920V

For trouble taking in this feed, please call NBN TOC at 212-684-8910 ext. 221

VIA PATHFIRE: STORY #: NBN 25128
To access our story on PF: For DMG, from the navigation panel on the left, select News, Video News Feeds, NBN. For Browser DMG, login, click the Provider Directory, and select NBN.
This story will be available after 2:00 PM ET, Thursday, August 30 2007.

For More Information or Hard Copies, Contact:
Dan Schwartzberg at dschwartzberg@newsbroadcastnetwork.com or 212-684-8910

¹Harris Interactive, on-line survey of 2563 respondents, fielded April 10-16, 2007, with a margin of error of +/-2%; Survey provided as a pro-bono contribution to the American Red Cross in support of its disaster preparedness efforts
²Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Disaster Preparedness, WirthlinWorldwide’s National Quorum of 1,001 adult Americans over the age of 18. Field Dates: June 4 - 7, 2004, Margin of error + 3.1 percentage points in 95 out of 100 cases
³Telephone survey of 1000 U.S. Adults 18 years and older on May 4-7, 2006, conducted by ORC International. Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent at the 95% confidence level

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.