In the 8/16/23 Local 20/20 Column in the Port Townsend Leader (thank you, PT Leader!), Deb Stinson of Local 20/20’s NPREP group highlights the range of information on emergency preparedness and other activities that are part of this year’s All County Picnic!
By Deborah Stinson
August arrived in East Jefferson County with a wake-up call in the form of rapidly growing brush fire in the heart of Beaver Valley, threatening people, animals, homes, and livelihoods. Our fire district responded quickly and was later joined by surrounding departments who brought both additional skilled firefighters and essential equipment. Evacuation alerts were issued, and a shelter was established. We are quite fortunate that the fire was contained without loss of life or essential structures during this dry and windy weather.
Whether you were in the immediate area of the fire or not, would you know what to do? What is that evacuation notice telling me, does it include me, how soon should I go, what should I take, where should I go for help or to learn more?
As a rural community, our ability to respond to emergencies and recover from disaster is dependent on knowing where and how to connect to information and resources before a crisis.
Be sure to mark August 20 on your calendar for the 11th Annual All County Picnic. The event is sponsored by the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Local 20/20’s Neighborhood Preparedness (NPREP) Action Group and The Production Alliance (TPA) and will be held at HJ Carroll Park from 11AM to 4PM.
This is a fun, educational and all ages event where you can visit with friends and neighbors while learning about some of the best ways to become better prepared for a disaster—all this while enjoying some free corn on the cob!
At this year’s picnic, the Jefferson County Dept. of Emergency Management will be introducing a new concept—Community Emergency HUBs—places for people to gather after a catastrophic disaster to safely share information and resources. Designed to be a part of locally organized neighborhood preparedness groups, HUBs will also be located in various places in the City of Port Townsend and throughout the county as needed post-disaster.
It is important to know that after a major disaster, first responders may not be able to get to your location for an undetermined length of time—depending on the type of disaster and the condition of the roads just to name two of the reasons for a delayed response. Your neighborhood or any community HUB are places people can gather after a disaster to help each other and to give and get information.
Plan to attend the picnic to get more information about this new concept, ask questions and learn how to be a part of a HUB team.
Looking forward to seeing you August 20, HJ Carroll Park, 11AM-4PM. More details can be found at allcountypicnic.org.
Bio: This column was developed by Deborah Stinson of NPREP with contributions from Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management. Stinson is a founding member of NPREP and has been actively involved with Jefferson County DEM for over fifteen years.
