Davis residents get ready, get set for disaster
By Dana Rimington
Standard-Examiner correspondent
Sat, 04/30/2011 - 7:43pm
Images
FRUIT HEIGHTS -- With intermittent snow flurries Saturday, the weather wasn't ideal for an emergency-preparedness fair, but natural disasters don't always come at convenient times.
The question of the day at the fair, with hundreds of people perusing more than 40 booths, was: How prepared are you for an emergency?
Cody and Peggy Huft, of Fruit Heights, attended so they could find additional ways to be prepared.
"We've been preparing at home because, with the way things are going with the government, if they toppled and everything goes, we'll be prepared, I hope," Cody Huft said.
His wife agreed, saying it's hard to get everything upfront.
"We are taking it just one step at a time and plan on getting a little each month so it doesn't get too expensive," she said.
One of the more popular booths at the event was the Dutch-oven table hosted by the Venturing Scouts at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Fruit Heights, headed by the Rev. Neal Humphrey.
The Scouts were offering free samples of chili, pizza and bread, hot and right out of the Dutch ovens.
The food was a definite hit in the cold weather.
"In an emergency, kids need pizza, and that is why you need a Dutch oven," Humphrey said.
The cast-iron pots are a good resource because they can be used with many sources of heat, including briquettes, oven, fire or propane.
Fruit Heights Mayor Todd Stevenson is optimistic when it comes to evaluating his city's readiness to handle an emergency.
"We are in really good shape with our community and the city emergency plan, but we can't take care of everybody, so this is good to help individuals get prepared," he said.
Because it may take several days before professional help can reach people hit by a disaster, residents need to be prepared with enough food, water and other supplies to last for a few days.
"In major disasters, we are going to need to depend on our neighbors since it may be 72 hours before professional help can come," said Fruit Heights City Councilwoman Bette Hubrich.
"I want citizens to walk away from this event with heightened awareness of their personal need to be prepared for any situation that should arise, instead of thinking someone will come in to help."
Fruit Heights plans to start holding monthly preparedness meetings to help people evaluate their readiness.
The first class will begin at 7 p.m. May 19 at the Fruit Heights City Building, 910 S. Mountain Road. For more information, email bhubrich@fruitheightscity.com.
The preparedness fair was jointly sponsored by the cities of Fruit Heights, Farmington and Kaysville.
The question of the day at the fair, with hundreds of people perusing more than 40 booths, was: How prepared are you for an emergency?
Cody and Peggy Huft, of Fruit Heights, attended so they could find additional ways to be prepared.
"We've been preparing at home because, with the way things are going with the government, if they toppled and everything goes, we'll be prepared, I hope," Cody Huft said.
His wife agreed, saying it's hard to get everything upfront.
"We are taking it just one step at a time and plan on getting a little each month so it doesn't get too expensive," she said.
One of the more popular booths at the event was the Dutch-oven table hosted by the Venturing Scouts at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Fruit Heights, headed by the Rev. Neal Humphrey.
The Scouts were offering free samples of chili, pizza and bread, hot and right out of the Dutch ovens.
The food was a definite hit in the cold weather.
"In an emergency, kids need pizza, and that is why you need a Dutch oven," Humphrey said.
The cast-iron pots are a good resource because they can be used with many sources of heat, including briquettes, oven, fire or propane.
Fruit Heights Mayor Todd Stevenson is optimistic when it comes to evaluating his city's readiness to handle an emergency.
"We are in really good shape with our community and the city emergency plan, but we can't take care of everybody, so this is good to help individuals get prepared," he said.
Because it may take several days before professional help can reach people hit by a disaster, residents need to be prepared with enough food, water and other supplies to last for a few days.
"In major disasters, we are going to need to depend on our neighbors since it may be 72 hours before professional help can come," said Fruit Heights City Councilwoman Bette Hubrich.
"I want citizens to walk away from this event with heightened awareness of their personal need to be prepared for any situation that should arise, instead of thinking someone will come in to help."
Fruit Heights plans to start holding monthly preparedness meetings to help people evaluate their readiness.
The first class will begin at 7 p.m. May 19 at the Fruit Heights City Building, 910 S. Mountain Road. For more information, email bhubrich@fruitheightscity.com.
The preparedness fair was jointly sponsored by the cities of Fruit Heights, Farmington and Kaysville.
