Everyone who would like to learn more about how to be prepared to face an emergency is invited to attend the Emergency Preparedness Fair hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The fair will be held in conjunction with local emergency service providers. There will be multiple agencies and vendors from Green River and the surrounding area. The purpose of the event is to offer helpful information and educate the citizens of the area on how to better prepare in the event of an emergency or disaster.
A number of topics will be presented at the fair. Residents can learn how to prepare for everything from more common emergencies like fires to unexpected disasters like earthquakes and pipeline ruptures. Maps showing alternate routes out of Green River will be available. Tips on gardening in Wyoming and dutch oven cooking will be offered. There will be a food storage calculator that tells people how much food they would need to store for an emergency based on family size and the desired level of comfort.
Norman (Norm) Vance has been the main force in organizing the fair. Vance has been a preparedness coordinator for 64 years, worked as a safety officer for the railroad, and is an Army veteran who helped prepare for emergencies as a communications transport officer for the military. Vance has studied Wyoming, including its history, landscape and wildlife. He has also written manuals and books on various topics related to survival and preparedness.
“All these little things I’ve accumulated as intel is what I’m trying to give back,” Vance said.
While he has worked to put together resources, he wants to offer it to people for free, since he believes the information doesn’t belong to him, but to the Lord.
Vance pointed out Green River is the safest place on earth to live, based on the fact that information from the National Safety Council and other sources has said the United States is the safest country to live in, Wyoming is the safest state in the US, and Green River is the safest town in Wyoming.
While there are benefits to living in the safest place on earth, Vance also worries people’s perception of safety has led to apathy and a lack of preparedness for emergencies and disasters. This is why he’s been working for nearly a decade to put together a preparedness fair to help people be informed and ready.
The Emergency Preparedness Fair is free to the public and will be held Saturday, September 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building at 120 Shoshone Avenue in Green River.
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