The public’s complacency is the largest challenge facing organizations that seek to foster a national ethic of preparedness. A national survey conducted by The Ad Council in August 2008 asked Americans in an open-ended question why people are not doing more to prepare. Half of respondents (52%) said that it is because people believe that they are unlikely to be affected by an emergency. Another 21% said that people were too busy (11%) or apathetic (10%).

Although there is still a long way to go before all Americans are adequately prepared for emergencies, there have been indications of progress:

• o From 2005 to 2008, the proportion of Americans who said they have taken any steps to prepare rose 13 points, from 45 percent to 58 percent. There were also several notable increases in key preparedness behaviors among American households nationwide:
• § Put together an emergency kit: 44 percent in 2004 to 53 percent in 2008.
• § Created a family emergency plan: 32 percent in 2004 to 40 percent in 2008.
• o The study also found emergency preparedness progress in the workplace. Fifty-eight percent of employed respondents reported that their employers offered training or instruction about workplace emergency plans in 2008, a significant increase from 43 percent in 2006.

To learn more about preparedness planning for individuals, families, and businesses, visit www.ready.gov.