More than a dozen organizations are scheduled to participate in the Palouse Emergency Preparedness Fair, which is designed to answer attendees questions about emergency situations.
The fair runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 21 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on A Street in Moscow.
“It is sort of like a one-stop shopping center in terms of emergency preparedness,” said Calvin George, event director.
In the past, people may have found it easy to push emergency preparedness to the bottom of their priority lists, George said, but as the Palouse continues to expand as a community, it is more important to be prepared.
About 800 to 900 community members attended the event’s debut in 2011 and he expects to see those numbers increase for the second installation.
Brett Udy, director of public affairs for the Moscow university stake of the church, said this is not a church activity regardless of where it is taking place — the church is involved with the event.
Udy said the church has been practicing emergency preparedness for years and that a member came up with the idea of involving the community.
“It’s great seeing everyone coming together in the interest of our community as a whole — and that’s what I think this says about this community,” Udy said. “We care about each other and … these organizations want to help those who want to learn more about being prepared for an emergency.”
Udy said church members are taught to store food reserves and save money in case the “bread winner” loses their job, and with these kinds of preparedness in mind the fair came into being.
This year’s fair will have the Moscow Police and Fire Department, Idaho Food Bank, Whitman County Department of Emergency Management, Latah County Disaster Services and more.
Coordinator for Latah County Disaster Services Sandy Rollins said the event is important because it is an opportunity for families to realize what needs to happen in an emergency.
“The state isn’t going to come in and assist immediately so we are pretty much on our own — we got to have families realize that they need to be sustained for at least 96 hours,” Rollins said.
Rollins and Disaster Services will be at the event to promote the Community Response Team, a team of first responders in case emergencies like the recent floods occur. The local team is comprised of 21 members — one of the three largest in Idaho — and there are still individuals on the waiting list.
Rollins will also teach people how to make a 96-hour emergency backpack that consists of safety goggles, gloves, flashlights and first aid kits.
The free event will include displays, demonstrations and booths that teach people how to deal with food, money, pets and fitness in case of an emergency. Anyone attending is encouraged to bring canned and packaged food items for an Idaho Food Bank food drive, and there will also be door prizes.
Jacob Dyer can be reached at [email protected]