To help residents be better prepared, Emergency Management Oceanside (EMO) is hosting the Emergency Preparedness Expo 2018.
The annual Oceanside Emergency Preparedness Expo will be held Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. It is hosted jointly by the City of Parksville, the Town of Qualicum Beach and the Regional District of Nanaimo.
More than 30 first responders, government agencies, emergency supply vendors, utilities and emergency partners will be on hand at the expo. There will be displays, demonstrations and workshops to learn about the challenges people face in an emergency and how to be better prepared.
There will also be free drop-in workshops: Fire Safety for Homeowners, 10-11 a.m.; Adventure Smart: Staying Safe on Trails, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Home Insurance 101, 1-2 p.m.; and Age and Health Factors for Preparedness, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Free, half-day workshops will also be offered: Post-Earthquake Rapid Damage Assessment, 9 a.m. to noon; and Disaster! Surviving the First Few Hours, 1-4 p.m.
Half-day workshops require pre-registration. People can register at emergencyservices@rdn.bc.ca or 250-390-6759.
People can also experience a 35-second, 8.0-magnitude earthquake with the Shake Zone mobile earthquake simulator. It is designed to provide an experience of what it would be like to go through a major earthquake, “while in a safe, controlled environment,” according to a news release from Emergency Management Oceanside.
— NEWS Staff/Emergency Management Oceanside release