Legion partners with Dept. of
Homeland Security to build community preparedness
INDIANAPOLIS, August 11, 2004
- The nation’s largest veterans organization has joined forces with the
U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and a coalition of 50 national groups to
encourage citizens in communities across the nation to be prepared when it
comes to handling emergencies.
With nearly 15,000 posts throughout the country, the 2.7 million-member
American Legion is perfectly positioned to reach out to communities during
National Preparedness Month in Sept. with information that could be
crucial in saving lives.
“Military veterans are ideal activists in motivating their neighbors to be
prepared,” according to John Brieden, national commander of The American
Legion. “After all, we all spent a good portion of our lives training for
war and know only too well the value of having the tools for survival at
our fingertips.”
“National Preparedness Month brings together an amazing coalition of
partners to make citizen preparedness a priority for every city, every
neighborhood and every home across America,” said Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge.
National Preparedness Month will provide Americans with a variety of
opportunities to learn more about ways they can prepare for an emergency,
get an emergency supply kit, establish a family communications plan, and
become more aware of threats that may impact communities. It will also
provide them with several opportunities to volunteer or get first aid or
CPR training.
“American Legion Posts can serve as shelters, emergency command centers,
CERT team training and deployment sites and more,” Brieden said.
“Legionnaires have myriad military skills that are invaluable to their
communities.
“We are a nation engaged in war with a ruthless enemy that continues to
send signals that every American, every community, is fair game to them.
It is only prudent that all of us should be prepared for any contingency,
natural or man-made.”
Homeland Security is one of the top issues to be considered by delegates
to The American Legion 86th National Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Aug.
30 - Sept. 2, 2004.
