Staff Report
KYLE — The Hays County Office of Emergency Services (OES), in partnership with the city of Kyle, hosted the eighth annual Emergency Preparedness Fair Saturday, Sept. 13, at La Verde Park. Hundreds of residents joined local first responders, volunteers and community partners.
“The eighth annual Preparedness Fair was a tremendous success thanks to the incredible engagement from our community and our dedicated partners,” said Hays County OES director Mike Jones. “Together, we were able to educate and empower residents with the knowledge and resources they need to be prepared for any disaster.”
The fair featured hands-on safety demonstrations, preparedness resources, interactive exhibits and live music entertainment. Guests explored emergency vehicles, participated in CPR and fire extinguisher training and learned how to create personalized emergency go-kits.
A highlight of the day was the third annual Top Dawg Chili Cook-Off. Phillip Gilreath from Arkansas was the first place winner, Kent Cawley was second place (by 1 point) and Emergency Service District (ESD) 3 South Hays Fire was third place. They retained the Top Dawg traveling trophy between Hays County ESDs and also won the People’s Choice Award. Proceeds from the cook-off benefit the firefighters of Hays County, helping fund firefighter training and replace equipment lost during wildfire responses.
The event was powered by community support, with 67 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members volunteering and 17 non-CERT volunteer partners participating, totaling 668.7 volunteer hours.
Families enjoyed live performances by Two Tons of Steel and the Cody Sparks Band, participated in raffles and a silent auction and engaged directly with local emergency personnel. The fair blended entertainment with education, ensuring attendees left better prepared for emergencies of all kinds.
“Building resilience starts with awareness, and this event showed the strength of our community when we come together,” Jones added.
For more information on preparedness resources and upcoming events, visit www.haysinformed.com.
