MONTICELLO, FL — With the most active part of hurricane season underway, Jefferson County is helping residents get storm-ready — one emergency kit at a time.
- Jefferson County hosts a Disaster Preparedness Expo.
- The expo provides free disaster supplies to the first 100 attendees.
- Watch the video below for details on newly state-funded disaster equipment.
Jefferson County prepares residents for hurricane season with disaster preparedness expo
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
We're now entering the most active part of hurricane season — and Jefferson County is making sure neighbors are ready.
"When you receive these items, you know, we want you to build on that," Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Kristy Anderson said.
I'm Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter — taking you inside the Disaster Preparedness Expo, where supplies like this solar-powered radio could make all the difference when storms strike.
Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, Jefferson Emergency Management and the Community Emergency Response Team will host the Disaster Preparedness Expo at the R.J. Ballar Public Library.
The first 100 residents will receive free disaster supplies — while everyone learns how to protect their homes and families from hurricanes, flooding, brush fires, and more.
Emergency Management Director Kristy Anderson says the event is about protection — and transparency.
"We saw that many of the residents were not available at the last one. This is actually our third one. We want just to reach everyone that we can," Anderson said.
Emergency Management will also display the department's newest equipment — a flatbed truck, forklift and generator — purchased through a $300,000 state-funded grant.
"This will allow us to deploy, even pre-deploy water, necessities that we have stored in our warehouse," Anderson said.
Fire Chief Derrick Burrus says his crew will perform demonstrations and display new brush-fire equipment acquired through approximately $800,000 in state appropriations.
"Always good when you see stuff like this in the community. It's kind of like a recruiting thing, you know. People see it and they go, 'Hey, our fire department actually has everything they need.' Maybe they'll come to work for us," Burrus said.
Anderson says this will be the final disaster preparedness event of the year — and she's urging anyone who hasn't received a preparedness bucket to come out Saturday.
In Monticello, I'm Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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