Scott officials encourage emergency preparedness Published Sept. 25, 2014 By 375th Civil Engineer Squadron SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- September is National Preparedness Month. This year's theme, "Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare," serves as a reminder that we must take the necessary steps to be prepared not just today but throughout the year. It is a time to prepare for the hazards that may affect the community. "Almost daily in the news you see an emergency or disaster has occurred to an unexpecting community just like ours," said Master Sgt. Jinnie Lettkeman, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron, Readiness and Emergency Management superintendent. "Whether naturally occurring, man-made, or technological, they threaten the safety of our personnel and jeopardize our ability to accomplish the mission." The Air Force "Be Ready" Awareness Campaign provides the Scott community the knowledge needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from any emergency or disaster. "Emergency preparedness is the responsibility of every member of our team," she said. "It takes a collective approach to ensure that we are ready for any crisis. I encourage everyone to learn about our potential hazards, put together an emergency supply kit, make an emergency plan, and join in local efforts to become a partner in preparedness. Only by working together as a team can we truly "Be Ready" for emergencies." The Scott Readiness and Emergency Office encourages Unit Emergency Management Representatives across the wing to help promote the awareness campaign by including emergency preparedness information in their staff meetings, commander's calls and similar venues. Also the Installation Office of Emergency Management has a variety of campaign products available to support the efforts. "Our end goal is to foster a culture of full spectrum preparedness across our installation," said Lettkeman.