National Preparedness Day: Allen Baler on the Preparedness Pledge, JanuReady, and Practical Readiness

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2026/01/20

Allen Baler is a preparedness advocate and spokesperson focused on practical household resilience amid increasingly frequent disruptions. He works on public-facing initiatives that encourage individuals and families to plan for outages, contaminated water advisories, and severe weather events through education, guides, and free training. Baler is associated with the promotion of National Preparedness Day (January 25), registered through National Day Archives, and with related awareness efforts aimed at both U.S. and Canadian audiences. His emphasis is not apocalyptic “bunker” thinking, but realistic, incremental readiness: simple plans, basic supplies, and the confidence that comes from being prepared.

In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen speaks with Allen Baler about the meaning of “official recognition” for National Preparedness Day, which Baler says was registered via National Day Archives and must now be publicized through media, social platforms, and free educational resources. Baler frames preparedness as a mainstream response to COVID-era disruptions, grid failures, and worsening extreme weather—less fantasy, more household competence. They discuss the Preparedness Pledge, designed as a simple January resolution emphasizing plans and fundamentals over purchasing. Baler explains starter-level discounts as lowering barriers, not maximizing profit, and notes higher preparedness engagement in disaster-prone states.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You said you registered National Preparedness Day and have a certificate. What does “officially recognized” mean in practice?

Allen Baler: First, we wanted to understand the process. We found an organization that registers and lists “national days” on its own master calendar. That felt like a sign of the times. We have all lived through COVID, major outages, extreme weather, and broader geopolitical uncertainty.

Preparedness has become a growing industry. It has shifted from the movie version—zombie-apocalypse scenarios—to something more practical: everyday people trying to protect their homes, their families, and their way of life. We thought it would be worthwhile to create a day that encourages people to take readiness seriously.

So we registered it through National Day Archives, which issues a certificate of registry and lists the day on its calendar. The certificate states that January 25 is designated as National Preparedness Day in accordance with that organization’s policies.

From there, it is up to us to publicize it and build awareness. We plan to do outreach to media and offer training, resources, guides, and live classes free of charge to encourage practical preparedness. We want the message to reach Americans and Canadians.

More broadly, when it comes to risk infrastructure and public safety in the United States, many communities have long relied on agencies such as FEMA and other public institutions during disasters. There are ongoing debates about how that system should be funded and structured, and people’s experiences vary widely.

What has also become clear is that institutional response is not always fast or frictionless. Some people receive critical help and are grateful for it. Others encounter delays and administrative barriers. That reality has pushed more people toward basic household readiness: knowing what to do in an outage, having safe water options, keeping non-perishable food, and planning for short-term disruptions.

For the inaugural year, success looks like reach and uptake: how many media outlets, podcasters, and community organizations mention the day and share practical preparedness actions. We would like it to become a recurring prompt—especially in regions that regularly face hurricanes, wildfires, or severe winter weather.

We are also going to be monitoring visits to our website and to a dedicated resource page we are setting up. That will allow us to see how many people download the hurricane preparedness guide and how many sign up for the free training class on water purification. Since this is the first year, we are hoping it generates some momentum and begins to circulate through media channels. We will certainly do our part through our existing customer base and our social media audience on Facebook, YouTube, and Meta, but it is important to have others talking about it as well.

We are not approaching this as a commercial initiative for our company. We are supporting it, but the goal is to get the conversation going and provide people with practical tools, tips, and education. Preparedness is already on many people’s minds.

Jacobsen: What is the preparedness pledge?

Baler: We are finalizing the document now, and we should be able to share a copy with you before publication. The pledge itself is intentionally simple. January is a time when people are already thinking about resolutions related to health, finances, and relationships, so we wanted to build on that mindset.

The idea is that people can download, print, and sign a pledge committing to take basic steps to prepare themselves, their families, and their communities. The goal is to create a greater sense of safety and peace of mind by beginning the process—not necessarily by buying products, but by learning fundamentals. That might include knowing an evacuation plan, understanding how to create one for your family, or recognizing which food supplies are reliable during an outage. Rice in the pantry is dependable; steaks in the refrigerator are not.

These are simple, practical ideas. The pledge is not a contract. It is meant to function like other January challenges or transformation efforts, encouraging people to start thinking differently about preparedness.

Jacobsen: JanuReady mixes free public resources with discounted products. How does revenue factor into future initiatives tied to the pledge?

Baler: That is an important question. The discounts we are offering during JanuReady are primarily on starter-level products. For example, our most popular food kit is a 72-hour emergency kit with a shelf life of up to 25 years when stored properly. We normally sell it for about $29, and during JanuReady it will be offered at a significant discount—likely around 50 percent—so people can try it as a sample.

We do not expect to make much, if any, money from these discounts. This is not a front-end revenue strategy. The goal is to get entry-level products into people’s hands. We are also offering a small solar-powered backup phone charger at roughly half price. Communication is critical during emergencies, and this is a simple way for people to stay connected.

If people find these tools useful, they may choose to invest in more comprehensive solutions later. But the discounts themselves are not intended as a revenue driver. They are meant to lower the barrier to entry for people who are just beginning to think about preparedness.

We sell higher-end products—large generators, extended food packages, and advanced water purification systems—that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. We do not expect significant sales of those during this initiative, and that is not the objective. The focus is on helping people get started.

Jacobsen: The United States spans a wide range of climates and risks—hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme cold, heat waves. Are there regions where preparedness needs differ significantly based on geography and climate?

Baler: Yes, we have definitely observed that in our customer data and audience patterns.

As you would expect, the areas most prone to natural disasters tend to be the most active. People there are more aware of preparedness, more likely to engage with related content, and more likely to purchase products. It is not surprising that our top three states are Texas, Florida, and California. That reflects both population size and the fact that these states regularly experience major weather events.

Florida is, of course, in Hurricane Alley. Texas experiences hurricanes as well, along with other risks. Many people remember the Texas freeze in February 2021, when large parts of the state lost power for days during extreme cold, and the electrical grid came close to failure. In California, wildfires and power outages are persistent concerns. These patterns explain why our engagement is heavily concentrated in coastal regions.

One interesting observation is that preparedness interest tends to be stronger in suburban and rural areas within those states rather than in major cities. For example, people living in New York City, despite the city’s size, are less likely to think about or purchase preparedness products, based on our experience. We have not fully cracked the code on that yet. Once people own their own homes, have families, and live farther from essential services, preparedness becomes more concrete. If the nearest grocery store is thirty miles away, a natural disaster can make access impossible.

Jacobsen: Are there any American slogans, aphorisms, or pieces of wisdom that you find effective, whether memorable, amusing, or succinct, in conveying the importance of preparedness for everyone, regardless of where they live?

Baler: We work with a former Navy SEAL named Cade Courtley. You may have seen him in our television commercials or YouTube content. He reviews products and helps us improve them. He comes from a very strong military and survival background and previously hosted survival programming on television and in podcasts.

He ends most of his videos and written messages with a phrase that is blunt but memorable: “A survivor, not a statistic.” It can sound a bit stark, but it captures the point. When people watch the news, disasters often feel distant—something happening somewhere else. People assume it will not happen to them.

That phrase reminds people that during events like Hurricane Helene, there are real numbers behind the headlines—people who lost power for weeks, or people who did not survive. The message is simple: take responsibility and prepare so you are not one of those statistics.

I have taken Amtrak through New Orleans, and you can still see power poles damaged from past storms. The scale of destruction is striking. Whether you attribute it to climate change, extreme weather, or a combination of factors, these events do appear to be happening more frequently and with greater severity. That has certainly been our observation over the last fifteen years.

Preparedness, for us, is not about bunker mentality or apocalyptic fantasies. It is about responsibility—especially for parents and partners. It is about thinking through worst-case scenarios so you can protect the people you care about. In that sense, preparedness is a practical expression of modern responsibility: being someone who has thought ahead rather than reacting too late.

Baler: The idea is that I can take small, practical steps now so that if something happens—and I hope it does not—I am more capable of taking care of myself and my family. I can be part of the solution rather than someone waiting in a FEMA food line. It is about self-reliance, responsibility, and protection.

Jacobsen: Allen, thank you very much for your time today. I appreciate it. 

Baler: It was a pleasure speaking with you, and I appreciate your interest in what we are doing. I know preparedness can sound niche, but I am glad you are writing for The Good Men Project. The way modern masculinity and fatherhood are evolving is an important conversation. Scott, thank you again. I appreciate the conversation.

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