Are You ready For It?

This conference presentation is intentionally themed to reinforce a core message: engagement matters. It shares how the City of Grand Rapids Office of Emergency Management partnered with IEM to develop a Community Preparedness Review (CPR) that complements FEMA’s Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) / Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR) process through a practical, community-centered lens. The CPR paired a comprehensive survey with interactive community workshops offered both in-person and virtually. To encourage participation and candid input, workshops used hands-on activities within a light, themed format that balanced fun with practical preparedness discussions - mirroring the approach of this conference session. The process captured community perceptions of preparedness, priority risks, barriers and motivators, communication preferences, and resource needs. The session will share lessons learned that the team knows All Too Well and provide a repeatable approach for launching a CPR and translating findings into improvements to outreach, partnerships, and all-hazards readiness. Whether it’s August or Back to December, community preparedness is needed Forever & Always to avoid future Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve moments. Long Story Short: we’re stronger when we prepare together.