You Never Know What Will Catch On: Do 1 Thing

A few years ago Mid-Michigan first responders and public health workers gathered in Lansing to wrestle with the problem of how to encourage people to take preparedness more seriously.  The idea they came up with was a marketing campaign they dubbed “Do 1 Thing”.  Do 1 thing encourages people to take a moment once each month to do one thing to be more prepared for emergencies.  It breaks preparedness down into simple steps that any family or person can take: designating a place to meet if you have to leave your home, making a plan for how you would assist an elderly relative, storing some clean water, etc.  Do 1 thing is promoted through public service announcements, a website, printed calendars, etc. At their website www.do1thing.com you can sign in and over the course of a year it will walk you through 12 simple steps to be more prepared. And you can follow it on Twitter at @Do1ThingUS.

Now Do 1 Thing is starting to get national attention. CDC is recommending its use to other communities around the country. Victoria Harp of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response said, “Our Learning Office has highlighted the work of the Do 1 Thing project as a great example of a Whole Community approach to emergency management.  This year our Communications Office is committing to the program.”  CDC and FEMA will be promoting Do 1 Thing to communities throughout the year.

People from the Mid-Michigan District Health Department’s service area who worked on the project included Lynda Farquharson our Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Jennifer Churchill who was our Public Information Officer and Larry St. George and Steve Lehman from Clinton County Emergency Services. Thanks to them and everyone who worked on the project and congratulations for starting a national trend!