The Florida Department of Health is teaming up with the Disaster Resistance Community Group to educate Tallahassee residents on how to properly prepare for a global plague.
The training event aims to get people to understand the severity of a disaster and how to properly respond if one were to occur.
“Preparing for the flu season should be part of our routine preparations for autumn: raking leaves, breaking out coats and gloves, stocking chicken soup, cough drops and tissues,” said Holly Kirsch, acting administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Leon County.
“Preparing for a pandemic takes even more preparation and gives us the ability to respond to a disaster more efficiently,” she said. “This exercise will help residents consider other steps they need to take.”
Participants will work hand-in-hand with facilitators and gain knowledge on how to prepare their neighborhoods if a pandemic such as the flu were to break out.
Facilitators are also available to guide participants with the necessary steps to further their knowledge of disasters and to increase their response times.
Tallahassee Emergency Management Coordinator Robby Powers said the event is worth going to.
“We will have representatives from the fire department, law enforcement, hospital and both the state and county health departments,” Powers said. “Attending this event allows people to ask questions about what they can do to get prepared and also be informed about services that are offered to them.”
Although Tallahassee resident Patricia Rocha, 61, isn’t attending the event, she thinks it would be beneficial to her.
“The thought of the flu breaking out scares me because I’m older and it’s harder for me to recover,” Rocha said. “That’s why I always carry hand sanitizer with me, because I don’t want to get sick.”
The event will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Tallahassee Fire Department Training Center, located at 2964 Municipal Way.
The general public is welcome to attend this free event. However, all participants must be registered.