Concord hold’s Emergency Preparedness Fair
CONCORD, CA (Sept. 3, 2021) — At Thursday’s Music and Market, the City of Concord held a free Emergency Preparedness Fair to share safety information with the community.
The time to prepare for disasters is before they happen. The next fire or earthquake could be years away or just around the corner.
On Thursday, Todos Santos Plaza was lined with booths where visitors could learn valuable tips, see safety demonstrations, and pick up free giveaways from local emergency service organizations. The fair featured representatives from the Concord Police and the Contra Costa Fire Protection District and HAZMAT team as well. In addition, Concord’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) had several booths to share their experience and training.
For example, one of the CERT booths had a quick lesson on how to turn off water, electricity and gas at your home if necessary. Meanwhile on the other side of the park, the Red Cross demonstrated CPR techniques.
Some children got to challenge Concord Police Officers in a beanbag toss, while the fire department gave away plastic fire fighter hats to the little ones. Parents got tips on planning escape routes for the family in the event of a fire.
Plan ahead
The general message of the fair? Don’t wait until it’s too late. Make a plan now.
Learn about community response plans, evacuation plans, and designated emergency shelters. Ask about the emergency plans and procedures that exist in places you and your family spend time such as places of employment, schools, and child care centers.
You should also make a plan for your pets. Public emergency shelters may not allow pets (other than service animals) for health reasons.
Make sure you have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Gather emergency supplies and a disaster “Go bag.” Store essential documents in a secure location and make an inventory of items in your home for insurance purposes. It may seem like a lot, but a good place to start is the City’s CERT page where you can download a Disaster Ready Guide for tips and tools to help you prepare and stay safe during a disaster. To learn more, click here.
Related story: How to assemble a wildfire emergency go kit