Emergency preparedness fair in California community partners with Red Cross and local response organizations | 09.14.2007 | 08:23:20 | Views: 6915 | ID: September 14 '07: In Walnut Creek, California local city officials are partnering with the Red Cross and the Church of Latter Day Saints to hold an emergency preparedness fair at the Heather Farm Community Center, the Contra Costa Times reported. The fair was being held this week to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. LDS will host the emergency preparedness fair, called "A Celebration of Preparation". During the fair, family members will learn how to provide emergency supplies for themselves for the first 72 hours as well as make emergency communications plans for relatives and friends. In addition to the community preparedness fair, local officials planned emergency response exercises simulating heavy rains and flooding. Rich Palmer, a local Red Cross volunteer who handles the "mass care" response team in the area told the Times that past flooding in the city helped to give impetus to the exercise. And Gayle Vassar, the community relations manager for Walnut Creek said, "The lessons we've learned from Hurricane Katrina are that government can't do it alone." Vassar continued, "Individuals can't do it alone and nonprofits like churches can't do it alone. ... We have to do it together. That's what community is about." The local Animal Control Services Department also will participate in the exercises and will provide information on how best to protect pets during a disaster.
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