AARP and FEMA partner on disaster preparedness, response and recovery

On Monday, the U.S. Depart­ment of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and AARP announced an agreement that will expand outreach around emergency preparedness for millions of older Americans. FEMA and AARP will work together to provide resources and services for older Americans with respect to disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery operations in the event of natural, man-made or technological disasters.

“This agreement today puts into writing what FEMA and AARP already do in practice,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “FEMA and AARP will continue to support communities and individuals to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.”

“We know that natural disasters don’t discriminate by age, income, race, gender or anything else – they affect everyone and everything in their path,” said AARP CEO A. Barry Rand. “We look forward to working with FEMA to educate American families on preparedness and help in recovery when disasters do strike.”

Last week’s agreement strengthens the shared responsibility approach to emergency management and will improve access to information to help individuals, families and communities stay safe before, during and after an emergency or disaster. This is an opportunity for FEMA and AARP to collaborate on emergency preparedness communications including social media outreach, training and exercise and evaluation opportunities that will raise awareness and help individuals to take the necessary steps to be prepared for emergencies.

AARP has long been an active educator on emergency preparedness and is ready to help when disaster strikes. Through the AARP Foundation, the Create the Good volunteer network, emergency planning toolkits and recovery efforts following recent natural disasters AARP has supported local communities as they prepare for and recover from the devastation caused by natural disasters. As part of this agreement AARP hopes to be a stronger partner with communities, especially those struggling to recover from disaster.

Severe weather does not follow the calendar and now that we are well into hurricane season, we are reminding everyone to Pledge to Prepare. An informed and motivated public will transform the way the nation prepares for and responds to hurricanes and other disasters and will ultimately save more lives and livelihoods. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as health care, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. AARP advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help its members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel and services AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To learn more about AARP, visit www.aarp.org.

This article originally published in the August 19, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.