First and foremost, people are very protective of their own.  Meaning, to keep one's person and family safe, the desire is there to keep one's community safe.  Therefore, Emergency Management Within Area/Community involves working with area schools to initially engage parents through Parent/Teachers Association, Boys/Girls Club, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, and/or other activities affiliated with area school to provide a medium for gathering parents together.  Then, engage in discussion on Emergency Management Within Area/Community.  Once the interest is captured, hold monthly or quarterly meetings focusing on Emergency Management for Area/Community.  I believe this forum will receive great attention in getting the word out on planning and preparation.  Communities can obtain facts from the local, state, and federal level.  

Once initiated, the forum can extend to incorporate others in the community, including the elderly, non-parents, young adults, children, area merchants, etc.  Involving merchants in the areas can prove beneficial.  Not only will the meetings bring communities closer, but will also enable communities to work together in the event of an emergency/disaster based upon a certain knowledge-base. Activities and forum can be held/managed first by local school districts/localities, thus keeping it simple and applicable to familiar territories.  Associating meeting forum with familiar territoritory can aid in rapid response time, provide a quicker means for getting the word out in the event of imminent danger/homeland security matter, inform where to go in the event of emergency, remind about materials to keep on hand, enforce checking on the elderly/disabled within the area, and keeping community abreast of emergency management techniques/tools/websites.  

Local, state, and federal governments have tons of information on emergency management via the internet, but not everyone has access to computers, has the knowledge to search for information/computer savvy, or is literate.  In-person meetings will keep community abreast.  Not everyone knows where to turn for pertinent information and oftentimes, this can lead to tragic events.  Even an event such as a tremendous snow storm can be tragic for the elderly if the power is out and there is no one in the area to check on them.  A continuous forum can do wonders in providing adequate information to be shared and discussed.  The focus must specifically be attuned to Emergency Management/Disaster.  Thanks for reading.