BMC Receives $10,000 from Wal-Mart
BALTIMORE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL RECEIVES $10,000 FROM WAL-MART TO SUPPORT READY? SET? GOOD CAMPAIGN
BALTIMORE (April 28, 2009) – Thunderstorms, hurricanes, blizzards, hazardous chemical leaks, water main breaks – these are just a few of the things that can disrupt or even threaten our lives. Since 2006, BMC’s award-winning Ready? Set? Good campaign has sought to prepare area residents for any kind of emergency.
Now a $10,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will help extend the reach of the campaign. Since 2007, Wal-Mart has donated more than $10 million for disaster preparedness and disaster relief efforts.
Now a $10,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will help extend the reach of the campaign. Since 2007, Wal-Mart has donated more than $10 million for disaster preparedness and disaster relief efforts.
Ready? Set? Good was developed with the idea that the more prepared people are, the less anxious and more self-reliant they are likely to be. This lessens the burden on emergency first responders so they can attend to other urgent matters. Initial research, however, indicated that citizens were overwhelmed with the amount of information being disseminated about emergency preparedness in the wake of 9/11, and they didn’t know where to begin.
Emergency planners determined that a household with just three basic items would be able to manage for the first 72 hours. Ready? Set? Good focuses primarily on those items – a radio, flashlight and water. While emergency planners encourage families to prepare a complete home preparedness kit and plan, these three items are critical to helping people through most emergencies that affect our region. Campaign materials direct residents to www.readysetgood.org, where they can find additional resources.
"The Baltimore Metropolitan Council appreciates Wal-Mart’s generous support of Ready? Set? Good," said Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, the BMC Chair. "The Urban Area Work Group for Homeland Security strives diligently to ensure that all the local jurisdictions in our region are prepared for emergencies. Our goal is to make sure that every household is also prepared. Wal-Mart’s support will help us accomplish that."
Ready? Set? Good was developed and has been financed until now through homeland security grants for the Baltimore Urban Area Security Initiative. Grant funds covered initial and follow-up market research; the development of a communications strategy; creation of a log and theme line; production of TV and radio spots and print ads; and media placement. Wal-Mart is the first corporate sponsor of the campaign.
Ready? Set? Good was selected by a panel of public health experts for inclusion in a national database of promising practices in emergency preparedness, and received an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties in 2008.
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The Baltimore Metropolitan Council comprises the Baltimore region’s elected executives, representing Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties. BMC’s goal is to improve the quality of life and economic vitality in the Baltimore region by identifying regional interests and collaborating on strategies, plans, and programs on areas such as the environment, commerce, public safety, transportation, and more.
Created in 2003 to coordinate emergency preparedness activities in the Baltimore region, the Urban Area Work Group (UAWG) includes committees of fire, police, emergency medical services and public works personnel from BMC's member jurisdictions plus the City of Annapolis. The UAWG assesses the region’s needs and recommends equipment acquisitions and projects that are eligible for federal reimbursement.
Every week, millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company is committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $296 million to local communities in the United States. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 17 September 2009 08:47