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Fair aimed at preparing for the future

Connie Steiert
Special to the Daily Deputy Ted Eicholz teaches Eagle County youngsters about safety.
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GYPSUM – “Get informed today to prepare for tomorrow” is the theme of Saturday’s preparedness fair in Gypsum. “You don’t know what might happen. It’s a very unpredictable world,” says Leah Hall, a spokeswoman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Gypsum, which is hosting the fair.On Saturday, representatives from a variety of valley organizations – such as the sheriff’s office, the fire department and county government – will give advice on protecting children from abductors, dealing with natural disasters, and storing food and water for emergencies, among other topics. “(The fair) is basically about bringing together, in one location, community resources so people can be informed about what may lie ahead,” Hall says. The Eagle County Sheriff’s Department will talk about personal safety and hand out free gun locks. The Gypsum Fire Department will man a booth with fire safety tips. Participants also will find booths on child identification, social services and emergency services.

At one booth, people will learn about which personal papers should be set aside for medical emergencies. Other booths will detail how to purify and store water and food.”Because we’re from an area that doesn’t experience a lot of large-scale disasters, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, our public has come to expect our emergency response will always be there, and rather quickly,” says Barry Smith, coordinator for the Eagle County Emergency Management Department.Smith, who coordinates local emergency response agencies and helps the county with emergency planning, will offer advice on community and family emergency planning. In addition, he will address the creation of citizen emergency response teams and Neighborhood Watch programs.”Knowledge is the key to protecting yourself,” Smith says. “What we want to get out to everybody is how to take care of each other during a disaster.” The Eagle County Sheriff’s Department will fingerprint and take pictures of kids and keep the information on file in case of kidnapping. Among the presenters at the fair, Eagle County Sheriff’s Deputy Ted Eichholz will talk about protecting children from abduction. Gypsum firefighter Wade Droegemeier will talk about fire safety.

A coloring booth will also be available to keep the littlest fairgoers occupied while mom and dad browse.”We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time,” Hall says of the church. “Hopefully, it will be very helpful for the people in the community, and for their families.”



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