2026 National Preparedness Month: County Participation Toolkit
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County governments across America play a critical role in preparing for or recovering from major disaster events, including extreme heat, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other emergencies. In honor of September as National Preparedness Month, the National Association of Counties (NACo) provides resources and solutions to strengthen county government capacity for disaster mitigation.
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County governments across America play a critical role in preparing for or recovering from major disaster events, including extreme heat, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other emergencies. In honor of September as National Preparedness Month, the National Association of Counties (NACo) provides resources and solutions to strengthen county government capacity for disaster mitigation.
Participation Tools
Build Local Partnerships
Form strategic partnerships with industry leaders, service providers, local universities and neighboring counties to maximize resources and capacity.
Pass a Resolution
Use this template to pass a resolution recognizing September as National Preparedness Month in your county.
Post to Social Media
Join the campaign on social media! Below are sample social media posts for county use.
General
- September is #NationalPreparednessMonth. This year @FEMA's theme is Americans Stand Ready, a celebration of the resourcefulness and civic responsibility that make our communities strong. [COUNTY] joins @NACoCounties in taking part.
- Americans stand ready. This #NationalPreparednessMonth, [COUNTY] joins @NACoCounties and counties across the country in encouraging every resident to take simple steps to protect their family and strengthen our community. Learn more at [LINK TO COUNTY RESOURCES].
- We hope you will join @NACoCounties and [COUNTY] in recognizing September as #NationalPreparednessMonth. By preparing for the future, we honor the bravery of our first responders and safeguard our community.
- As part of #NationalPreparednessMonth, [COUNTY] will be [EVENT/ACTION]. We encourage you to participate and help contribute to our community’s readiness!
FEMA Act advocacy
- Americans stand ready, and counties are ready to deliver. The bipartisan FEMA Act would move Public Assistance to a grant-based model, putting disaster funds in county hands up front so [COUNTY] can go straight from response to rebuilding. This #NationalPreparednessMonth, we're asking Congress to pass it. Learn more about the bill and access advocacy templates and guidance using NACo’s FEMA Act toolkit: https://bit.ly/45NDQt9
- County advocacy works. County leaders helped shape the FEMA Act, and it cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 57-3. This #NationalPreparednessMonth, [COUNTY] joins @NACoCounties in urging Congress to bring this bipartisan bill across the finish line. Learn more about the bill and access advocacy templates and guidance using NACo’s FEMA Act toolkit: https://bit.ly/45NDQt9
The county role in disasters
- Long before disaster strikes, counties invest in mitigation projects, strengthen local infrastructure and lead community preparedness efforts. When it does strike, residents look to [COUNTY] first for emergency services, shelter operations and debris removal. #NationalPreparednessMonth
- Counties own 44% of America's public road miles, 38% of the National Bridge Inventory, 960 hospitals and nearly 700 nursing homes. When disaster strikes, protecting that infrastructure falls to us. #NationalPreparednessMonth
- Nearly 900 counties, about one-third of all counties in the U.S., experience at least one natural disaster every year. Counties are not passive actors in disasters. [COUNTY] is on the front lines of mitigation, response and recovery. #NationalPreparednessMonth
What residents can do
- Know your risk and make a plan. The disasters most likely to hit [COUNTY] are [HAZARDS]. Once you know what you're facing, build a family emergency plan with Ready.gov's free fillable form. ready.gov/plan #NationalPreparednessMonth
- Build a kit. Having enough food, water and medicine on hand can keep your family safe and comfortable until help arrives. Pack a go-bag too, so you're not scrambling if an evacuation order comes. ready.gov/kit #NationalPreparednessMonth
- Americans stand ready to help our communities. Take a first aid or CPR class, or join a Community Emergency Response Team and get trained in fire safety, light search and rescue and disaster medical operations. [COUNTY] residents can start at [LINK]. #NationalPreparednessMonth
Additional
- Preparing for a disaster doesn't have to be expensive. Ready.gov's low and no-cost tips can save you thousands later and give you peace of mind now. ready.gov/low-and-no-cost #NationalPreparednessMonth
- When individuals are prepared and self-reliant, they bolster what our brave first responders can do. This #NationalPreparednessMonth, take one action: know your risk, make a plan, build a kit or get trained. ready.gov
Listen to Community Stories
Host key stakeholders and county residents with lived experience of disasters and impactful insights to inform local decision making. By including state and federal policymakers in these discussions, county leaders can advocate for preparedness priorities and highlight specific challenges in local capacity.
Participate in NACo’s Committees
The Resilient Counties Advisory Board (RCAB) connects county leaders and staff involved in disaster mitigation, recovery and environmental resilience. Members have access to monthly committee meetings, an opportunity to share experiences and learn from your peers and guest speakers. Please contact committee@naco.org to learn more.
NACo’s Justice and Public Safety and Environment, Energy & Land-Use Policy Steering Committees help shape the county platform around preparedness issues. Please contact your state association of counties if you are interested in joining. Learn more here.
Review FEMA Advice & Resources
FEMA’s Ready Campaign offers a comprehensive toolkit of both general resources and those specific to the 2026 theme: Americans Stand Ready.
FEMA's toolkit includes resources for developing emergency plans for families, developing emergency plans for businesses and learning what disasters and emergencies could affect your area and how to prepare for them.
Avoid Scams
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers this one-page document to distribute to your residents with practical advice for spotting and avoiding scams. The FTC also offers a portal to report fraudulent activities here.
Join NACo in Advocating for the FEMA Act
When disasters strike, county governments across the nation are frontline responders. Counties provide critical care to residents in need, clear debris, rebuild neighborhoods, operate shelters, provide food and fund hospitals. With disasters increasing in frequency and intensity, counties across the nation face rising costs and long delays in federal reimbursements. The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act provides long-overdue reforms to streamline disaster recovery, increase transparency and make federal assistance more accessible to local communities.
Through NACo's Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, county officials provided direct feedback to federal partners, helping to shape key provisions of the bill.
Specifically, counties support:
- Establishing a universal disaster application: Streamlined access to federal aid would improve survivor outcomes by reducing confusion, duplication and delays in the application process.
- Public Assistance Program reform: Transitioning the Public Assistance Program from the traditional reimbursement process to a grant-based model would provide faster access to federal disaster funds, allowing counties to more quickly restore vital infrastructure.
- Creating a public assistance dashboard: Increased transparency in the Public Assistance Program process would allow counties to track project approvals, identify delays, and better manage expectations and timelines.
- Reforming disaster mitigation programs: Involving counties in state mitigation planning would enable counties to proactively address vulnerabilities before the next disaster strikes and better protect their residents.
Counties Call on Congress to Advance Federal Disaster Reform During National Preparedness Month
To mark National Preparedness Month, counties are urging Congress to advance a set of federal disaster reforms so counties can better respond to and recover from disasters.
Counties eligible for $787 million in DOT PROTECT grants to build disaster-resilient surface transportation
Counties are eligible for federal PROTECT grants that fund projects engaged in building surface transportation systems that are resilient to weather events natural disasters.
NACo sends letter to Congressional leadership asking them to reauthorize or extend key programs
NACo sends letter to Congressional leadership asking them to prioritize reauthorizing or extending key programs for counties ahead of September deadline
Senate Confirms New FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton
The U.S. Senate Confirmed Cameron Hamilton as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, re-establishing a leader for the agency which faced significant staffing cuts in recent years.
Senators Introduce a Bill to Extend Assistance to Counties for Rebuilding After Natural Disasters
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced a bill to extend the amount of time in which counties can access FEMA funds to pay disaster repair and reconstruction workers to up to two years following a natural disaster. This bill would provide increased flexibility and support for counties as they lead the front lines of disaster recovery.
Landmark housing reform bill becomes law with key county priorities
The latest version reflects several NACo advocacy priorities, including increased safeguards for critical community development funding and an expedited process for allocating disaster recovery funds.
Resource
Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act: A County Advocacy Toolkit
