September Is National Preparedness Month.

Sep 3, 2026

A Timely Reminder to Prepare Your People, Property, and Technology

September is National Preparedness Month, making it a good time for businesses to review how prepared they are for the unexpected. Emergencies can take many forms, from severe weather and fires to power outages, technology failures, and cyber incidents.

Preparation does not need to be complicated. Reviewing a few key areas can help businesses strengthen workplace safety, protect important information, and respond more effectively when normal operations are disrupted.

Review Your Emergency Procedures

Start with the basics. Employees should know evacuation routes, designated meeting areas, emergency contacts, and how to report an emergency. Exit routes should remain clearly marked and free from equipment, boxes, or other obstacles.

Businesses should also inspect emergency supplies. Check first-aid kits, AEDs, flashlights, fire extinguishers, and other emergency equipment to make sure they are accessible and ready when needed.

Communication is equally important. Employees should know how the organization will provide updates if a facility closes, power is lost, or normal communication systems become unavailable.

Protect Business Information

Preparedness also includes technology.

Critical business information should be regularly backed up and protected. Organizations should consider how payroll, customer records, communications, and other essential operations would continue if employees temporarily lost access to the office or company network.

Cybersecurity habits should be part of preparedness discussions as well. Encourage employees to use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication. Software and devices should remain updated, and employees should know how to recognize and report phishing attempts.

Company information should only be accessed through approved devices, applications, networks, and storage systems. Employees should also lock their screens whenever they step away from their workstations.

Reset Everyday Safety Habits

After summer vacations and changing schedules, September is a good opportunity to reinforce everyday workplace expectations.

Remind employees to report hazards promptly, wear required personal protective equipment, and keep walkways and exits clear. As business activity increases, employees should avoid allowing busy schedules or rushed deliveries to replace established safety procedures.

New and seasonal employees deserve special attention. They may not know emergency procedures or technology policies that longtime employees take for granted.

Put Your Plan to the Test

A preparedness plan is most useful when employees know how to follow it.

Walk through the workplace and look for potential concerns. Conduct a brief evacuation drill. Test emergency notification procedures. Consider what employees would do if email, internet access, or another critical system suddenly became unavailable.

These exercises can reveal gaps that are easy to overlook on paper.

Make Preparedness an Ongoing Priority

National Preparedness Month provides a valuable reminder, but emergency readiness should continue throughout the year.

A few proactive steps can help protect employees, safeguard business information, and strengthen operational resilience. The goal is not to predict every possible emergency. It is to make sure your organization is prepared to respond when something unexpected happens.

Preparedness starts before the emergency.