Date: July 10, 2001
| For Release: Immediate
Date: July 10, 2001 |
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State's First Disaster Training Expo to be held in Nash and Edgecombe Counties |
RALEIGH - When it comes to disasters, professionals think in terms of not if, but when. That is why the experiences and lessons learned from past disasters will be showcased the weekend of July 21-22 during the inaugural North Carolina Disaster Training Exposition. The Expo, to be held at Nash and Edgecombe Community Colleges, will feature four responder courses and nine disaster management presentations.
A display of disaster related response equipment will be open to the public on Saturday, July 21st at Sunset Park in Rocky Mount from 8: 30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Featured will be vehicles and helicopters from the North Carolina National Guard, a post impact comfort station from the Salvation Army, disaster recovery resources from the North Carolina Baptist Men's Association, mobile emergency room tractor-trailer units from the Special Operations Response Team and the State Animal Response Team, plus rescue helicopters and three mobile command posts. The exhibition site will be set up as a family event, with plenty of things to look at, climb on and see up close.
More than 175 participants from 14 surrounding counties have already signed up to attend the training sessions. The responder training courses will cover: swift water rescue; helicopter rescue; cause and origins of fires; and, operating a county receiving and distribution point. Instructors from across the state will provide participants with access to some of the best expertise available in North Carolina. Most of the responder training involves a combination of lecture and hands-on opportunities that will allow participants to put into practice what they have learned. A listing of specific class offered at each campus is available on the Internet at www.ncem.org.
Disaster management overview presentations being offered during the Expo include: shelter and mass care operations; media relations; family preparedness; donations management; county animal response teams; special needs sheltering; critical incident stress debriefing; disaster application centers; and, debris management. The management training overview lectures will range from two to four hours, and are open to the general public. All of these topics will be presented at the Nash Community College campus on Saturday the 21st between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
For more information on attending the Expo as a student or participating in the exhibition area at Sunset Park, call Edgecombe County Emergency Services at (252) 641-7843, Nash County Emergency Services at (252) 459-9805 or the N.C. Emergency Management Division Central Branch Office at (919) 575-4122.
The Expo is being co-sponsored by the Edgecombe and Nash County Emergency Services agencies, the City of Rocky Mount Fire Department, Edgecombe and Nash Community Colleges and the North Carolina Emergency Management Division.
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