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McReady Overview
McReady Oklahoma is a grassroots initiative that provides activities and materials aimed at preparing Oklahoma families, businesses, schools, churches and other venues and groups regarding the steps that can be taken to stay safe from tornadoes, severe storms and other natural disasters. The same disaster relief agencies and organizations that respond to Oklahoma disasters have come together to deliver this unique, award-winning program. By providing preparedness information to a diverse audience, McReady issues a call to action that can ultimately mitigate the effects of tornadoes and other natural disasters.
The message is delivered statewide, primarily within McDonald’s restaurants. Major elements to the program include: in-store informational displays with preparedness literature, educational tray liners and bag stuffers; the opportunity for local emergency managers to customize the program with weather radio programming and other local events; a weather safety show presented at schools; a weather safety DVD provided to schools and local emergency managers; and the Web site, www.mcready.org.
The program was first implemented in Tulsa in 2003. One year later, the program went statewide when the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management began administering McReady.
McReady Displays
The displays are located in more than 170 McDonald’s restaurants and another 30 city halls, libraries and county courthouses (in communities without a McDonald’s) as part of the statewide severe weather preparedness campaign. The displays contain informational materials focusing on tornado, flood and lightning safety, providing an emergency preparedness message to visitors throughout the month of April.
McReady literature includes the “Family Preparedness Guide” along with the “Weathering the Storm” and “Shelter in Place” brochures. The “Weather Safety Activity Book” features a word search and pages for coloring. Crayons are available by request in the McDonald’s restaurants. More...
Other In-Store Items
McDonald’s tray liners and bag stuffers also urge families to get prepared for severe weather and feature weather safety tips and a map showing Oklahoma counties since severe weather watch and warning information is issued by counties. Both lead visitors to pick up their preparedness materials on the McReady display at the front of the restaurant. All items also direct individuals to the McReady Web site for more information.
Weather Safety Program at Schools
This year the McReady weather safety program will take to the road again, delivering the severe weather preparedness message in schools in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. The show features Ronald McDonald, OG&E’s Lineman Larry and KOCO’s Rick Mitchell (Oklahoma City)/ KOTV’s Travis Meyer (Tulsa). More than 12,000 students, teachers and staff receive the McReady weather safety message via the school programs every year.
Weather Safety DVD
McReady partners deliver the severe weather preparedness message via a DVD as well. The DVD was produced by KOCO Channel 5 and runs approximately six minutes long.
Giveaway
The McReady program emphasizes the need for every Oklahoman to be protected by a NOAA all hazards weather radio. The campaign promotes this by giving away free weather radios via weekly drawings. Individuals register for the drawings on the McReady Web site.
Winners are announced each Wednesday in April on KOCO Channel 5 in Oklahoma City and KRMG Radio in Tulsa. Winners are notified following each “Weather Radio Wednesday” drawing by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. More...
McReady Partners
McReady would not be possible without the many partner organizations involved in planning and implementing the campaign. In addition to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, McReady partners include the American Red Cross, R.D. Flanagan & Associates, Office of Gov. Mary Fallin, KOCO Channel 5, KOTV Channel 6, KRMG Radio, McDonald’s Owners/Operators, MOROCH, National Weather Service, OG&E Electric Services, Oklahoma Citizen Corps, Oklahoma Emergency Managers Association, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, Oklahoma Floodplain Managers Association, The Oklahoman, Salvation Army and Tulsa Partners Inc.
More than 5 million individuals are exposed to the McReady campaign annually via the McDonald’s restaurants alone. When you add the number of students, faculty and parents introduced to the campaign through the school safety program along with those exposed to it via television, newspaper, radio coverage and the Web site, the McReady campaign’s reach exceeds the five-million mark by far. More...