By Adam Stewart, Product Marketing, Genasys Inc.
No time to read the whole blog? Click to see the key takeaways:
- National Preparedness Month was created after 9/11 to ensure communities never again fall victim to a “failure of imagination.”
- Preparedness investments must come before, not after, disaster, yet many communities still lag until tragedy forces change.
- Public safety leaders are in a position to act now, by planning, training, and securing resources, to close gaps and build true community resilience.
Do you know why National Preparedness Month exists?
Each September, agencies across the United States emphasize readiness for disasters: natural, technological, or man-made. This observance began in 2004, three years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, when the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA launched the campaign to encourage individuals, businesses, and communities to prepare before disaster strikes.
But the story is about more than just a calendar event. It’s about the lessons we failed to learn before 9/11, and how public safety professionals today must avoid repeating history.
“Failure of Imagination” – A Lesson from 9/11
In its landmark report, the 9/11 Commission concluded that the attacks succeeded in part due to a “failure of imagination.” In other words, leaders could not, or would not, consider the possibility that terrorists might turn passenger airplanes into weapons of mass destruction. Despite intelligence signals, the threat seemed unthinkable.
For public safety professionals entering the field today, this phrase is critical. “Failure of imagination” is not just a historical footnote, it’s a warning. Disasters often unfold in ways that exceed expectations, and communities that dismiss unlikely scenarios risk being unprepared when they become reality.
When Preparedness Lags Behind
Even today, this mindset persists. Across the country, investments in emergency communications and preparedness systems often follow, not precede, tragedy. Examples include:
- Hurricane Katrina (2005): Communication breakdowns left first responders without coordination. Billions in improvements came only after lives were lost.
- Paradise, California (2018): Outdated evacuation alerts contributed to confusion during the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in state history. Only afterward did funding and modernization accelerate.
- Recent cyberattacks and infrastructure failures: Many local governments lack robust continuity-of-operations plans until a breach or outage forces change.
The pattern is clear: when communities assume, “it won’t happen here,” they remain vulnerable.
Preparedness Gaps Communities Still Face
Despite 20 years of progress since 9/11, gaps remain. Public safety professionals encounter:
- Fragmented systems – Agencies and municipalities often rely on outdated or siloed communication tools.
- Underfunded planning – Budgets for preparedness and training are routinely cut in favor of immediate needs.
- Complex funding streams – Federal grants exist but navigating them requires time and expertise many smaller communities lack.
- Public complacency – Surveys show that many households still lack basic emergency plans or supplies, even after highly publicized disasters.
These vulnerabilities aren’t hypothetical. They’re present in every community, waiting to be exposed by the next unexpected event.
Why This History Matters Today
For those who weren’t in public safety during 9/11, it may feel like distant history. But the purpose of National Preparedness Month is to ensure its lessons remain alive. Preparedness is not optional, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Communities that invest early in systems, training, and coordination reduce risks, save lives, and recover faster. The alternative is waiting until disaster proves what leaders refused to imagine.
Don’t Wait for Disaster
Preparedness requires leadership, foresight, and commitment. While acknowledging budget limits and the complexity of grant programs, the cost of inaction is always greater. For today’s public safety professionals, the takeaway is clear:
- Imagine the unthinkable. Don’t dismiss low-probability but high-impact risks.
- Act before crisis. Use resources like FEMA’s Ready.gov and state emergency offices to secure funding and support. For practical guidance, see our “Smart Public Safety: How to Apply Emergency Grants for All-Hazard Solutions” and “11 Steps to Write a Successful Public Safety Grant Application“ blogs.
- Champion preparedness. Whether you are new in your role or a seasoned professional, be the voice that ensures your community won’t face tomorrow’s disaster with yesterday’s tools.
Conclusion
National Preparedness Month is a reminder for communities that assume “it won’t happen here.” The failure of imagination before 9/11 cost lives. Two decades later, preparedness gaps remain, and it’s up to today’s public safety professionals to close as many as they can.
Preparedness requires foresight and leadership. Communities that act now save lives and recover faster. The best time to act was yesterday. The next best time is now.
Contact Genasys, the leader in protective communications, to learn more about communications preparedness.
