DENVER – Colorado leaders want their citizens to be prepared.
Prepared for what?
Well, maybe for a pandemic.
Or an earthquake. Or a blizzard.
Or other nasty stuff.
Terrorism.
A cyber attack.
Zombies.
Or, more likely, wildfires.
“In Colorado, we face disasters a little more frequently than you’d like to think,” said Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia.
In fact, the state has suffered 85 federally declared disasters since 1955, including four record-setting wildfires the last four years.
Garcia announced a public campaign Friday at the Capitol to get the state’s citizens, businesses and churches thinking about disaster planning. The Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency are also sponsoring the campaign.
The groups are devoting the month of September to encourage people to come up with a disaster game plan and take personal steps to prepare, including taking classes for CPR and first aid.
The state Division of Homeland Security is hosting events throughout the month, including a Zombie Preparedness Event in Colorado Springs on Sept. 28.
Of course, people in Colorado Springs are more likely to suffer from wildfires, but the point of the event is that the same survival preparations that would be useful in a mythical zombie apocalypse are also needed for real-world situations.
The goal over the next three years is for half of all Coloradans – 2.5 million people – to have a personal emergency kit and household disaster plan, said Gino Greco, CEO of the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming.
The website ReadyColorado.com has personal disaster plans and family communications plans, which are designed to help people decide in advance what to do if they are separated and without telephone service.
Tim Deal, FEMA’s regional preparedness coordinator, said he is often asked if his agency is ready for the next disaster, but he turns the question around.
“Let’s stop talking about what government can do and instead talk about each of our roles in being prepared,” Deal said.
