Disaster preparedness fair coming to Graton

A disaster preparedness fair Saturday to help residents be ready for earthquakes, fires or floods will include information on gas and electrical hazards, evacuations and how to sign up for county emergency alerts.

The free fair will be from 10-2 p.m. at the Graton fire house, 3750 Gravenstein Highway, Graton.

First responders from multiple agencies will be on hand as well as PG&E, medical personnel and the Red Cross.

Nearly 20 topics on home safety, medical and survival strategies and supplies will be covered at stations spread throughout the fire house. CPR, defibrillator use and basic medical aid training will be offered.

People also will be shown how to sign up for SoCoAlert and Nixle to receive cell phone and computer notifications of emergency situations, crimes, and other first responder situations. And they’ll be information on how to pack for an evacuation, how to prepare your home for an evacuation and how to get large animals out when facing a disaster.

“Natural disasters are inevitable. We all saw how quickly the October fires spread, and how widespread they were throughout the county,” said Misti Harris, spokeswoman for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, which is participating in the event. “You need to be prepared to care for yourself and your family, especially if the disaster is large.”

Graton Fire Chief Bill Bullard said “We expect a high turnout due to so many people having to evacuate. We want to make sure people know how to evacuate their homes.”

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.