A disaster can happen at any moment, especially when we least expect it. It is important for everyone to know what to do in case a catastrophic event occurs and that is why the City of Long Beach is inviting the community to attend the third annual READY Long Beach Community Preparedness Expo this Saturday.
The event takes place Saturday, September 17 from 10:00AM to 5:00PM at Heartwell Park, where participants will learn how to prepare for emergencies such as earthquakes and terror attacks.
“The more prepared we are as a community, the better off we’ll be in an emergency,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “This event will give Long Beach residents the critical information they need before an emergency, so they can be ready to help themselves, their families and their neighbors.”
The free day-long event will host information booths, emergency preparedness demos, emergency supplies sales, food sales, kid’s fun zone and displays of emergency response vehicles. It will conclude with a free showing of the movie San Andreas at 6:00PM after a dinner break.
The expo will discuss a series of “how tos” including:
- How to store minimum supplies of food, water and other basic survival tools recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- How to safely shut off gas and water lines
- How to build a family evacuation and response plan
- How to engage your neighbors in disaster planning
“Recent events continue to show us the importance of being prepared,” said Councilwoman Stacy Mungo in a statement. “I encourage neighbors to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and join with our Long Beach community in taking steps to prepare for emergencies.”
READY Long Beach is sponsored by the Long Beach CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and in partnership with the Long Beach Fire Department, Southern California Edison and other city departments and disaster relief agencies.
For more information, visit the READY Long Beach Facebook page.
Above, left: Image courtesy of READY Long Beach.
Heaetwell Park is located at 5801 Parkcrest St, Long Beach, CA 90808.