NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH 2025: “Preparedness Starts at Home”

September is National Preparedness Month (NPM), and this year’s theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home.”

Travis County is helping residents get back to the basics of emergency preparedness with quick, simple steps everyone can take to make their homes safer.

Explore useful tips and surprising facts to get your home ready for emergencies, one room at a time. Learn what belongs in your kitchen, bedroom, and garage.

Preparedness doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small steps add up to big results.

WHAT’S ON THIS PAGE

• Preparedness for every room
• Weekly focus schedule
• Did you know?
• Follow us on social media for more tips, facts, and interactive polls
• Additional resources

PREPAREDNESS FOR EVERY ROOM

In an emergency, you may need to shelter-in-place at home for multiple days without power or water until roads become safe enough for first responders to get to you. In a different emergency, you may only have minutes to gather your belongings and family members and evacuate.

Whatever you need to do, being prepared is key.

Here are the top items to keep in each room to stay ready for the unexpected:

Kitchen

• Working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm
• Multi-purpose Class ABC fire extinguisher
• Manual can opener
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food for the whole family
• One gallon of water per person per day

---

Bedroom

• Working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm in each bedroom
• Flashlight
• Go-bag with essentials
• Phone charger and extra battery packs
• Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio
• Waterproof, fire-resistant folder or safe for important documents

---

Garage

• Working smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm
• Multi-purpose Class ABC fire extinguisher
• Manual can opener
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food for the whole family
• One gallon of water per person per day

WEEKLY FOCUS SCHEDULE

Each week, focus on one room in your home. By the end of September, your home will be safer and your family more prepared.

• Week 1: Kitchen Readiness
  
  • Check expiration dates on pantry items and rotate older food to the front
  • Create a mini first aid kit to keep in the kitchen for minor cuts and burns
  • Have a plan for what you’ll eat and how you’ll eat them during a prolonged power outage – Do you have enough non-perishable foods like canned beans, soup, or granola bars? How about charcoal or gas grills outside when you can’t use your stove?

• Week 2: Bedroom Readiness
  • Test windows and doors to ensure they open smoothly and can be used as emergency exits
  • Install fire escape ladders in upstairs bedrooms and practice using them safely
  • Secure heavy furniture like dressers and bookshelves to prevent tipping

• Week 3: Garage Readiness
  • Clear driveways and make sure ladders, bikes, and other tools in the garage don’t block exits
  • Label shut-off valves and circuit breakers for gas, water, and electricity
  • Store gasoline and propane only in approved containers. Store them in a detached garage or shed away from the house, away from heat sources.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Filling empty water bottles and freezing them helps keep food cold longer during a power outage.
• Most house fires happen between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Working smoke alarms double your chance of survival.
• Practicing your evacuation plan twice a year can cut your reaction time in half during an emergency.
• Text messages go through faster than phone calls during a disaster and helps you conserve your cell phone battery.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Travis County and Travis County Emergency services on social media:

Each week, we will share more preparedness tips and interesting facts on our Facebook, X, Instagram, and Nextdoor accounts. We’ll also post interactive polls, so you can let us and our other followers know what you do to keep your family safe, one room at a time!

Questions include:

• How often do you test your smoke alarms?
• How do you receive severe weather alerts?
• Do you have a fire extinguisher in your home?
• Do you have a car emergency kit?
• Do you have a family meeting place planned?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Start a conversation: Ready.gov’s National Preparedness Campaign

Travis County Office of Emergency Management: National Preparedness Month

Sign up for emergency alerts: Warn Central Texas

Get the latest weather updates: National Weather Service

FEMA and Ready.gov: Are you Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

U.S. Fire Administration: Home Fire Safety

American Red Cross: Anatomy of a First-Aid Kit

TexasReady.gov: Build your Disaster Supply Kit

FEMA: Safeguard Critical Documents and Valuables

FEMA: Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)