WASHINGTON -- Each September, FEMA celebrates National Preparedness Month, a time to focus on preparing the nation for emergencies and disasters. FEMA’s 2023 National Household Survey showed that 65% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander individuals (AANHPI) in the United States do not believe that taking a step to prepare will make a difference. To encourage AANHPI communities to take preparedness actions, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced last May that this year’s campaign will focus on reducing preparedness barriers for AANHPI communities. To underscore this historic effort, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell today signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and announced this year’s National Preparedness Month campaign theme, which is “Start a Conversation,” to close the preparedness gap and address barriers across these communities. 

“Preparing for emergencies on blue sky days can make all the difference when keeping communities safe during a disaster. For the past few years, we’ve focused on reaching communities in a culturally competent way and I am excited that this year’s National Preparedness Month will focus on preparing the AANHPI community,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “In honor of this historic commitment, we are proud to join with our partners at NCAPA to solidify our commitment to building stronger connections with the AANHPI community. We look forward to helping these communities become more prepared for future disasters.”

“NCAPA applauds the work of FEMA to ensure that Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander families across the country are prepared for emergencies and disasters. Language accessibility, in particular, is critical to reaching our communities effectively,” said Gregg Orton, executive director at NCAPA. “As extreme weather and climate events intensify, AANHPIs are particularly at risk -- and we have already seen a severe impact on our communities in places like Hawai'i. We will continue our work to ensure that all AANHPI communities can stay informed, aware and safe.”

This partnership formalizes the collaborative, strategic approach FEMA and NCAPA will take to engage trusted leaders and institutions in the AANHPI communities to build prepared communities and a resilient nation. To help AANHPI communities across the nation to take action to keep themselves, their families and neighbors safe, FEMA’s Ready Campaign’s will take the following steps to reach these communities where they are and create culturally competent and in-language messaging to help get them prepared.

Reaching Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities Where They Are

• Hosting Roundtables and Webinars: FEMA is coordinating and working to engage with AANHPI communities through roundtables across the country. These events will enhance FEMA’s understanding of how preparedness materials are used, identify appropriate channels to share materials and gain necessary insights to better support the needs of the AANHPI communities through culturally appropriate preparedness initiatives and messaging. To ensure that we are reaching AANHPI communities where they are and seeking their input, FEMA hosted a roundtable in Massachusetts and will host additional roundtables in Mississippi, Michigan and Colorado.

Later in September, FEMA will host the following webinars:

• Engaging Communities and Communicating Preparedness Webinar -- September 23 -- 2:30 PM EDT: FEMA and partners will discuss messaging strategies for communicators to prepare their communities for existing and emerging hazards. Presenters will share takeaways from the Risk Communications, Crisis Communications & Community Engagement Summit report and set the stage for continued convenings. Summit learnings will be applied to examples of successful community engagement and risk communications for disaster preparedness. Speakers from multiple sectors will present on a project or initiative that highlights these concepts and participate in a facilitated panel discussion. Click on the link to register for the webinar.
• Research Findings Webinar -- September 16 -- 1:30 PM EDT: The Ad Council and creative partners will present on their research and findings on the AANHPI communities. During the webinar, they will highlight how they have used data to create impactful and relevant preparedness campaigns, share lessons learned from this year’s focus groups, as well as helpful tips for communicators. This webinar is for state, local, tribal and territorial communicators. Registration link to follow. 

Creating Culturally Competent and In-Language Materials

• Providing Engaging Content: To help communities share information and start the conversation with neighbors and partners, the Ready Campaign has developed a toolkit with messaging and graphics in Chinese (simplified and traditional), Arabic, Korean, 'Ōlelo Hawai’i, Vietnamese, Tagalog and additional languages to help our partners uplift and amplify this year’s National Preparedness Month focus in a culturally competent way. Additionally, the agency is producing public service announcements featuring FEMA employees urging people in these diverse communities to take simple steps to prepare.
• Creating New Advertisements: Since 2021, FEMA and the Ad Council have created public service announcements (PSAs) designed to resonate with other communities who may also be disproportionately affected by disasters including Latino communities, Black and African American communities and older adults. Later this year, FEMA’s Ready Campaign will launch new PSAs highlighting the AANHPI communities and showcasing how the community can prepare for future disasters.

For preparedness messaging, graphics and resources for National Preparedness Month, visit: Ready.gov/September.