Urging the Federal Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to observe National Preparedness Month, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1618) urging the Federal Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to observe National Preparedness Month, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1618. I am pleased that House Resolution 1618 is being considered by the full House today during National Preparedness Month. I would like to thank Ranking Member King, as well as Representatives Richardson and Rogers, the chairwoman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, for their support of this resolution and joining me as House congressional co-chairs for National Preparedness Month.

House Resolution 1618 commends the public servants at the Department of Homeland Security for their outstanding dedication to securing our Nation and encourages the American public to participate in National Preparedness Month.

National Preparedness Month is sponsored by DHS. Spearheaded by FEMA's Ready campaign and Citizen Corps program, National Preparedness Month is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. This year, the Ready Campaign has partnered with over 4,000 coalition members across the country to promote the message that preparedness is a shared responsibility.

As a former volunteer firefighter, I know that lives are saved when the public takes steps to prepare for the worst. Individuals across the country can be more prepared for the next disaster by making a family emergency plan, assembling an emergency supply kit and learning about possible threats in their area. Businesses, both large and small, should also make every effort to plan for disasters by conducting a risk assessment, completing a business continuity plan, and preparing an evacuation plan that takes into account the needs of all their employees, including those with disabilities.

We are up to our 12th named storm during this hurricane season, and according to the DHS, the number of attempted terrorist attacks against the U.S. over the last 9 months has surpassed the number of attempts during any other previous 1-year period.

The good news is that today we are more prepared to respond to disasters than at any other time in our history, as we have a stronger FEMA and better equipped first responders standing ready across the country.

Despite all the effort that has gone into building a more secure and resilient Nation, more work needs to be done. In a survey conducted in 2009, FEMA found that just 56 percent of respondents had disaster supply kits in their homes and only 38 percent knew where to find key public safety information. It is my great hope that National Preparedness Month will help improve these numbers.

I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1618 and also ask them to encourage their constituents to visit ready.gov where they can learn how to be vigilant, alert, and prepared for any emergency.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Richardson).

Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1618 supports the important goals and ideals of National Preparedness Month. I thank the ranking member and all my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security for coming together in a bipartisan manner to show support for this important resolution.

I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as subcommittee chair of the Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response Subcommittee of the Committee on Homeland Security and one of the cochairs of the House National Preparedness Month and original cosponsors of H.R. 1618, I rise in strong support of this resolution brought forward by Chairman Thompson recognizing the importance of National Preparedness Month.

I would like to thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King of our full committee for their continued leadership on these very important issues and not letting Americans be caught unprepared. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Rogers, the gentleman from Alabama, the ranking member of our subcommittee, for working with me on these preparedness issues, as well as all of the members of our committee who supported this resolution.

September 2010 is the seventh annual National Preparedness Month. Through events, public service announcements, and other coordinated efforts, FEMA and its thousands of public and private partners have and will disseminate critical information about the importance of being prepared.

House Resolution 1618 supports these important efforts by recognizing the valuable work of the Department of Homeland Security and encouraging Americans to work together to take concrete actions toward emergency preparedness.

Over the course of the last year, we have seen tragedies strike, whether it was manmade or beyond our control, in many forms, whether they included floods, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, oil spills, and most recently in my own State, a major pipeline gas explosion. Additionally, we have also known terrorists continue to target Americans and our critical infrastructure, as evidenced by the various attempted suicide bombings and plots that have been uncovered.

Thanks to countless public servants and everyday Americans throughout all levels of government and first responders across our country, our Nation stands more resilient than ever. House Resolution 1618 praises the selfless dedication of those courageous individuals and calls on the American public to equally make efforts at home, at work and school, because it's really all of our responsibility to increase their ability to assist in preventing, protecting against, and preparing to respond to all disasters and, above all, to minimize the loss of life and destruction of property.

Madam Speaker, change is evident in regard to how Americans prepare for disasters, but one thing is completely true--we have not completely hit the road that we need to be on to be prepared in every aspect to avoid some of these disasters and incidents that might occur.

Let me go over a few simple tips, and I would like to build upon some of the ones that Chairman Thompson already mentioned for the Record.

Number one, it's important to practice your disaster plan. Number two, prepare our children so that they know what to do. Number three, something that we fell short on with Hurricane Katrina, and that is not to forget to make assistance for those who are vulnerable, whether they be those who are aged, infants, or those with special needs. We should all learn CPR and first aid. We need to understand the post-9/11 risks. And finally, we all have got to be involved and volunteer.

House Resolution 1618 encourages all Americans to be prepared when-- not if--the next emergency occurs and to get involved in the National Preparedness Month activity happening in your area. Right here today in the Capitol, Chairman Thompson authorized, with FEMA, to be able to launch the iPod system, which will enable State and local governments, tribal and territories to be able to be better alerted in the case of an emergency.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1618.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today as an original cosponsor of House Resolution 1618. This bipartisan resolution recognizes the month of September as National Preparedness Month, during which government officials, the private sector, and individual citizens are urged to become better prepared for terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies.

Earlier this month, we commemorated the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honored those who were lost that day. Weeks earlier we marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and we were reminded of the lasting devastation caused by the storm.

These solemn anniversaries are powerful reminders of the threats we face and the importance of being prepared. Having an emergency kit, which includes basic supplies such as water, nonperishable foods, flashlights, batteries and other items, developing an emergency evacuation plan for your family, and staying informed about what's going on in your local area, are all steps that can be taken to become more prepared.

In addition to promoting these steps, House Resolution 1618 commends the employees of the Department of Homeland Security; other Federal agencies; State, local, and tribal government officials; as well as emergency responders and law enforcement officers who defend our Nation against terrorism. Their dedication to protecting our homeland against threats is one that we cannot and must not take for granted.

For this reason I have been a strong advocate of the Federal grant programs such as the FIRE and SAFER programs, which provide direct and much-needed support to our Nation's firefighters for equipment, staffing, and many other needs.

The Center for Domestic Preparedness in my home district of Anniston, Alabama, is another prime example of the Federal Government's commitment to first responders, providing premier hands-on training in disaster preparedness and response at no cost to the State, local, and tribal emergency responders.

These types of Federal initiatives help ensure that we do our part in providing the men and women on the front lines with the resources necessary to carry out their vital missions. I hope that we will continue to enhance funding for these programs, which also have the tremendous benefit of promoting a higher level of coordination and planning across all levels of government.

I want to thank Chairman Thompson and Subcommittee Chairwoman Richardson for their work on this resolution. As a House co-chair of National Preparedness Month, I urge all of my colleagues to support the measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.