SANDPOINT — Dozens of discipline consultants will come collectively on the Bonner County Fairgrounds this weekend to assist group members be prepared for disasters.
The Panhandle Preparedness Expo, an Oct. 5-6 occasion, will host distributors, demonstrations, and audio system aiming to coach and put together attendees for blackouts, floods, wildfires, and different crises.
“You want to concentrate on your environment and conscious of what sort of disasters may very well be in your space,” stated Pam Brockus, expo secretary. “Are we going to get a tsunami? No. However in our space, we have now energy outages, and we have now windstorms, snow, and freezing.”
The occasion was first held in 2016 as a one-day gathering. Because of excessive demand, the expo expanded the subsequent yr to fill all the weekend. Employees at Bonner County Emergency Administration, together with Brockus, launched the occasion to assist unfold the phrase about catastrophe preparedness.
“One of many duties for emergency administration is public outreach,” Brockus stated. “So, we simply sort of took it and we ran with it.”
Demonstrations from native consultants this weekend will embody map studying, performing CPR, discipline stripping an assault rifle, and blacksmithing, amongst others.
The expo can even host audio system from throughout the nation to share experience in a wide range of abilities. Jessica Arno — “The Fight Midwife” — will go to from Texas to current about responding to OB-GYN emergencies and navigating out-of-hospital beginning switch. Olivia Garrison, an natural medication specialist, will share suggestions for treating and stopping sickness when hospital care isn’t out there.
“After I educate, I wish to educate individuals what they’ve of their specific space,” stated Garrison, who leads two-day lessons throughout the western U.S. “I would like individuals to open up their eyes to their environment.”
In line with Garrison, the Pacific Northwest is dwelling to many essential parts of natural medication. “This space is so blessed to have a few of the most vital crops,” she stated.
Each Garrison and Brockus emphasised that in a catastrophe state of affairs, information and planning are extra vital than any device or piece of kit.
“Attend as many programs and lessons and be taught as a lot as you may,” stated Garrison. She then emphasised the worth of getting a wide range of strategies to resolve the identical downside.
“You are going to come throughout lots of people with completely different concepts on easy methods to do issues,” she stated. “At all times have a minimum of 3 ways of doing the very same factor.”
“You may’t all the time be completely ready — you simply need to be educated,” stated Brockus. “That is what this expo is about, is simply to coach individuals.”
All expo actions will happen in the principle exhibit constructing on the fairgrounds, 4203 N. Boyer Highway.
Data: panhandleprep.org.
