Emergency Preparedness Forum Set For Sept. 14
Residents Invited to Ask Experts About Disaster Planning

Local residents are invited to attend an “Ask the Experts Emergency Preparedness Forum” on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Clark County Commission Chambers. 

The forum is being held in September as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Preparedness Month. The goal is to educate residents about steps they can take to be prepared for any type of emergency that may occur in the valley  – ranging from a power outage to disease outbreak. Clark County Emergency Management Director Jim O’Brien will kick off the forum at 7 p.m. with a brief overview of local emergency management plans and efforts.  The public will then be invited to seek advice from local experts about emergency preparedness as part of a question and answer session. Participating agencies include:

• Clark County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
  

• Clark County Fire Department
  

• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homeland Security Bureau
  

• Southern Nevada Health District
  

• Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Red Cross
  

• Clark County School District

“Emergency preparedness begins with individuals and their families,” said Jim O’Brien. “National Preparedness Month is an opportunity for us to educate Clark County residents about the potential hazards we face in our desert community and to encourage people to take an active role in ensuring their own preparedness in the event that an emergency strikes.”

Mitch Fox, host of the Vegas PBS series “Nevada Week in Review,” will host the forum on Sept. 14. Public Television stations are organizing similar forums in communities nationwide as part of National Preparedness Month. The forum will be videotaped for rebroadcast on Clark County Television (CCTV) cable Channel 4 and Vegas PBS.  As part of the forum, several participating agencies and community groups also will have informational tables set up in the hallway outside Commission Chambers. Assistive listening devices and sign language interpreters also will be available for deaf and hard of hearing citizens attending the evening discussion.