Kansas Will Declare October Zombie Preparedness Month
Just in time for the start of The Walking Dead, Kansas is dedicating October to preparing for the zombie apocalypse.
According to a state press release, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback will sign a proclamation declaring October as “Zombie Preparedness Month” Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. in the Governor’s Ceremonial Office in the Kansas Statehouse.
Of course, Kansas officials don’t really believe walker hordes are right around the corner. Instead they, like other states, have realized that preparing for a fictional zombie apocalypse is a fun way to get people ready for real disasters like fires, floods, disease outbreaks and earthquakes.
The theme of the month is, “If you’re prepared for zombies, you’re prepared for anything.”
“If you’re equipped to handle the zombie apocalypse then you’re prepared for tornadoes, severe storms, fire and any other natural disaster Kansas usually faces,” said Devan Tucking, with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. “This is a fun and low-stress way to get families involved, and past turnouts have proven it to be effective.”
“We came up with the idea of Zombie Preparedness Month because it is an engaging way to get people on board with emergency preparedness,” said Angee Morgan, deputy director of Kansas Division of Emergency Management.
During the month the state will stress that Kansas residents need to be prepared for any disaster with “home emergency kits with survival supplies to last at least three days and an emergency plan.”
The month will culminate with a zombie event Oct. 25 from 10 am to 2:30 pm at the Crestview Shelter House at 4901 SW Shunga Drive in Topeka. A zombie fun run/lurch will start at 1 p.m. and survival kits will be given to the first 300 attendees.