Community Associations Institute (CAI) joins with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security today to help launch National Preparedness Month, a national effort to encourage Americans to make plans, stay informed and learn more about the resources available to them in the event of an emergency.

CAI will join Homeland Security officials and representatives of dozens of national organizations during a kickoff event September 9 in Washington, D.C.

CAI is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering vibrant, responsive, competent community associations. The 16,000-member organization, which includes 55 regional, state and local chapters, represents professional community managers, community association volunteer leaders (homeowners), management companies, and businesses and professionals who serve these communities.

More than 50 million Americans live in an estimated 260,000 homeowner and condominium associations, cooperatives and other planned communities.

CAI has developed several publications that can help individuals and communities prepare for an emergency, natural or man made. Rather than reacting to a crisis, CAI urges homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives to be proactive and prepared for the worst. Before Disaster Strikes, Disaster Management and Risk Management can all help communities develop action plans. More information is available at http://www.caisecure.net/.

"I struggle to find anything more fundamentally important than being prepared for a major crisis," says CAI Chief Executive Officer Thomas M. Skiba. "We are working with the Department of Homeland Security because it is impossible to understate the importance of preparedness. The upcoming third anniversary of 9-11 and two major hurricanes in less than a month are all the reminders we need."

The Department of Homeland Security offers this unambiguous advice: "All Americans should begin a process of learning about potential threats so we are better prepared to react during an attack. While there is no way to predict what will happen, or what your personal circumstances will be, there are simple things you can do now to prepare yourself and your loved ones."

For details and more information on the National Preparedness Campaign, go to http://www.ready.gov/overview.html.