"Be Prepared"

Secretary Napolitano was was joined by Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Kathy Cloninger at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, MD this afternoon to debut a new Girl Scout preparedness patch. The preparedness patch program, developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ,was designed to help Girl Scouts and their families interact and engage on the issue of personal preparedness.

• Identifying and preparing for potential emergencies
• Learning about local alerts and warning systems
• Engaging in community service

The Secretary remarked:

“This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country’s readiness for disasters,” said Secretary Napolitano. “As a former Girl Scout, I know the ‘Be Prepared’ motto well—and I look forward to working with the Girl Scouts to spread the preparedness message to all of our nation’s citizens.”

The Secretary also took the opportunity to announce a new partnership between the department's Citizen Corps and the Girl Scouts to advance community preparedness nationwide. The two organizations will work together to encourage young women to become community leaders in emergency management and response fields and to raise public awareness about personal preparedness, training and community service opportunities.

The Secretary also participated in President Obama’s My Education, My Future initiative while at the school, by visiting students and listening to the President’s remarks encouraging them to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their education.

Check out the Citizen Corps website for more information about preparing your community for all hazards, and ready.gov for information about preparing your family.