September is National Preparedness Month, and multiple town departments are collaborating for a free event on Sept. 10.

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By Ronni Newton

Multiple town agencies will co-host West Hartford’s first ever community preparedness event, with the goal of helping residents know what to do in various types of emergencies.

The event will be held outside at West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 (rain date Saturday, Sept. 17), from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Attendees will learn what should in a “Home Preparedness Kit” and how to create one for their family. There will be the opportunity to practice using a fire extinguisher on an actual (controlled) fire, and to learn hands-only CPR.

Public safety officers will offer live demonstrations of various activities, and attendees of all ages will be able to “touch a truck” belonging to the West Hartford Fire Department, West Hartford Police Department, and Public Works Department.

There will be free giveaways as well as a chance to enter a drawing for a “Go Bag” packed with what you need in the event of an emergency. Attendees can sign up onsite for the town’s Emergency Alert System.

The West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District will be offering flu shots, and attendees can also receive COVID vaccines – including newly-reformulated boosters (bivalent vaccine) which offers greater protection against the Omicron variant –  administered by Griffin Hospital.

Several cohorts have already undergone training to become members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and representatives will be on hand to provide more details about the process of joining the organization which helps out in emergencies and at large-scale town events.

Information about the following agencies will be available:

• West Hartford Fire Department
• West Hartford Police Department
• West Hartford Department of Public Works
• West Hartford Bloomfield Health District
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• Medical Reserve Corp (MRC)
• Griffin Hospital Mobile Vaccination Clinic
• American Red Cross

Anyone with questions or in need of additional information can contact the Office of Emergency Management at 860-561-8310 or email at [email protected].

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