After witnessing the federal, state and local response to a major disaster like Hurricane Katrina, it's more important than ever to make your voice heard and your community is prepared for unexpected emergencies.

Dr. Steven Taylor, an associate professor of government at American University in Washington, DC, offers the following advice on community disaster preparedness.

1. Vote If You Want Your Emergency Preparedness Needs to Be Taken Seriously.

Use the ballot box to convey your concerns.

"Many elected officials look up residents' voting records before they decide whether or not to respond to a resident," Dr. Taylor says. "People who vote in both primaries and general elections on the local, state and national levels are taken more seriously.

"Vote in every election!" he urges. "If you feel there are no candidates deserving of your vote, then you should simply appear at the polls, go inside the booth and then leave. This way, you are recorded as having voted.".

2. Support Candidates Who Are Dedicated to Disaster Preparedness.

As we learned from Hurricane Katrina, elected officials at the local, state and federal levels play a major role in how disaster response is managed.

If you're concerned about your community's emergency preparedness and response capabilities, put your support behind a candidate who echoes your views.

"Get involved in that campaign," Dr. Taylor says. "Even if the candidate loses, volunteers are taken seriously by elected officials. A person who works on a campaign is seen as representing more than just himself or herself.".

3. Don't Be Shy About Stating Your Emergency Preparedness Concerns.

"Concerned citizens should show up at officials' offices, get to know them and their aides, write letters to them and hand-deliver them," Dr. Taylor recommends. "I tell citizens to express their opinions about the issues at hand. Always express them in writing; then, they're on file. But try to hand-deliver them so elected officials and their staff members get to know you.".

4. Attend Community Forums on Emergency Response.

Community meetings allow you to express your concerns about emergency preparedness and disaster response to elected officials.

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