Emergency Agencies Join Forces to Help Sacramento
- Details
- Created on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 18:48
- Written by IVN
Sacramento, California - The California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) joined representatives from local, state, federal, non-profit and private-sector agencies assembled at the State Capitol earlier today with their command and communications vehicles, patrol cars and fire engines for the NorCal Be Prepared! Event.
This event was held to help commemorate National Preparedness Month and California Preparedness Day as well as to help educate the public on how they can write their own personal success stories after the next disaster occurs in their communities.
The event, co-sponsored by Cal EMA and Wal-Mart, featured approximately 40 booths and displays staffed by subject matter experts from dozens of local, state and federal agencies, community based organizations and private-sector entities.
During the event, attendees learned about the risk of earthquakes, fires, floods and tsunamis in their communities, the actions they should take in the emergencies they are most likely to experience, as well as the supplies they need to store for their families and pets.
"California is blessed to have the best firefighting, law enforcement and emergency management personnel in the nation, if not the world, but they won't be able to meet everyone's needs immediately after a catastrophic earthquake, fire or flood," said Cal EMA Secretary Mark Ghilarducci. "I encourage those who attended today's event and the others that are being held throughout the state this month to help reduce the strain that a catastrophic emergency will pose on our first responders by using the information they've obtained to increase their levels of preparedness at home, work and their community."
"Emergency preparation needs to be taken seriously by everyone, especially Californians, as our state faces frequent and often severe hazards including earthquakes, fires and floods," said FEMA Region IX Administrator Nancy Ward. "The state of California's Emergency Management Agency is an acknowledged leader in handling disasters, but businesses and residents must also do their part by taking important life-saving steps towards preparedness including adopting emergency plans, building an emergency supply kits and supporting community preparedness at every level."
Other participants included the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), Cal FIRE, the California Geological Survey, the California Grocers Association, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), Caltrans, the Capitol Region Chapter of the American Red Cross, Cal Volunteers, Citizen Voice/Safely Out, Clear Channel, Grainger, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Noah's Wish, Pacific Gas & Electric, the Sac Metropolitan Fire District, the Sacramento Office of Emergency Services, the Sacramento Police Department, Shelf Reliance, Teen CERT, Totally Unprepared/University of California San Diego, West Sacramento City CERT and the Salvation Army.
Additional information about preparedness is available at www.calema.ca.gov, www.redcross.org, and www.ready.gov.