In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

In a proclamation declaring September as National Preparedness Month (NPM), President Obama declares that preparedness is “a top priority” of his Administration and emphasizes a “more resilient nation” as “our goal”. The statement begins:

“Preparedness is an essential element of a resilient and secure Nation. My Administration has made preparedness a top priority, and we are working every day to ensure our country stands ready to respond to any disaster or emergency — from wildfires and hurricanes, to terrorist attacks and pandemic disease. Our goal is to ensure a more resilient Nation — one in which individuals, communities, and our economy can adapt to changing conditions as well as withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies.”

Though much of the proclamation contains normal preparedness boilerplate, particularly striking is the prominence of the concept of ‘resilience’ which is clearly becoming a central principle of the Administration in this area (It also has a new central place in the latest Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review.)