By Brittany Anderson
HAYS COUNTY — Knowing what to do in the face of a natural disaster or other crises can help save lives, and various leaders in Hays County are working to build a stronger, more resilient community to ensure that its residents are prepared for times like this.
The Hays County Office of Emergency Services held its fifth annual Emergency Preparedness Fair on Sept. 10 at the Hays CISD Performing Arts Center. Spearheaded by OES Director Mike Jones and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Michelle Villegas, along with the help of many others, hundreds of residents attended to learn from local experts about how to be prepared for a wide variety of emergencies.
The fair places an emphasis on community and the importance of being able to not just look out for you and your loved ones, but for neighbors, too. Just within the last few years, the county has experienced devastating natural disasters, such as historic flooding and freezing and a slew of wildfires this past summer.
For Jones, the mission of the fair is simple: if residents are knowledgeable enough to help themselves and others during times of crisis, first responders will not be inundated with 911 calls and they can focus on the situation at hand, not deplete resources and end up being able to help more people.
Getting directly involved in some of the local efforts that aim to educate the public in this way is one way to ensure you are prepared. Organizations like Community Emergency Response Team and Texas Search and Rescue allow residents to learn valuable life-saving skills while also assisting first responders.
CERT trains residents in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, search and rescue and disaster medical operations, allowing volunteers — once they complete the required 24 hours — to be dispatched to disaster situations and allow first responders to focus on the more complex tasks at hand.
“It’s completely customizable to your schedule and your lifestyle,” said Brandon High, OES Assistant Director and CERT Program Administrator. “Even if we have a classroom full of 30 people that don’t want to be affiliated with the team, that’s completely fine. That’s 30 more people that now have an education at a basic level on how to not be a burden on the system and support themselves, their family and their neighbors. All of that is beneficial to local communities, which benefits the city and the county.”
High said that many volunteers have no medical career background — instead, they’re teachers, construction workers, engineers, IT programmers and more.
Shannon Smith,director of communications and outreach at TEXSAR, echoed similar sentiments about her organization.
Blitz and Copper, two of Texas Search and Rescue’s K9s, observe the action at the Hays County Emergency Preparedness Fair Sept. 10.
“It’s a very healthy mix,” Smith said. “For a lot of people, this is their opportunity to do this because they didn’t make it a career. Or, [it’s] for the adventure seekers and the outdoorsmen. … What we have noticed is how many people will shift their careers based on their experiences here and then start pursuing roles in emergency response.”
Dozens of other vendors hosted emergency preparedness classes, such as CPR and “stop the bleed” training, presentations, including an update from the Hays County Sheriff’s Department on fentanyl, and other useful information, such as building a “go bag” in the event of an evacuation and navigating insurance coverage and finances following a crisis.
The fair also included food trucks, a raffle and silent auction benefiting the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team and the Hays County Fire Chiefs Association, and performances from local school bands and Lehman High School’s Mariachi Los Lobos. Sparky the Fire Dog and Smokey Bear also made appearances.
For more information on the fair and how to build a stronger community by becoming a more prepared resident, visit www.haysinformed.com.
