Published: March 21, 2008 11:37 pm         

Event features disaster readiness, a Channel 5 show

“Be Ready When the Time Comes” is the slogan.

Preparedness is the purpose, and information is what Cimarron Valley Chapter of American Red Cross is hoping to get to people Monday when KOCO Channel 5 will broadcast live from Enid as part of a free event to promote weather preparedness at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center.

Red Cross is one of the event sponsors, and the KOCO anchors will broadcast their 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts from the Expo Cen-ter at the county fairgrounds. Chief Meteorolo-gist Rick Mitchell and members of KOCO’s First Alert Storm Team will give a weather presentation 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Robin Unruh, local Red Cross executive director, said she is hoping people from Enid and surrounding communities will come to learn how to deal with disaster situations.

“We never know when it’s going to happen,” Unruh said. “Our biggest issue will be keeping information out there.”

Representatives from OG&E Electric Services, Vance Air Force Base, McDonald’s, Enid Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Flat Safe and Enid fire and police departments will be on hand, among other organizations, to help get the message of disaster and weather safety to residents.

“We start it at 3 p.m.,” Unruh said. “There’s about 25 booths involved, so people will have enough time to walk through everything that may interest them, and then they can be part of the newscast or stay and watch the show.”

Mitchell also will make several stops around Enid Monday afternoon. He will speak to the Rotary Club 12:15-12:30 p.m. at Continental Towers North. He will be at Monroe Elementary School at 1:30 p.m., and he’ll return to the Expo Center at 3 p.m.

Several organizations will be on hand with their response vehicles. Unruh said she is expecting 10 to 15 vehicles from Red Cross, Enid Fire Department, OG&E, Salvation Army, AirVach and EagleMed, among others.

“The 10 to 15 vehicles will be great,” Unruh said. “It will be a great experience for people to see that these are the vehicles that respond to everything. Salvation Army will be there with their canteen. Red Cross will have their emergency response vehicle, and we are also getting our communications vehicle in, which is how we communicate with people when the power is out.”

The Red Cross will have its bloodmobile on-site for people to give blood.

KOCO has teamed with McDonald’s through the company’s McReady program. Unruh said one of the main focuses of Monday’s event will be to promote this program. The McReady program partners with other organizations to prepare children for lightening, tornadoes, floods and other severe weather issues. OG&E will have Lineman Larry on hand to speak with children and give a presentation in conjunction with the McReady program.

“The McReady program has been going on for quite some time,” Unruh said. “That is why we are having this in our community. As a community and working with these other organizations, we realize our community needs to be a little bit more prepared. So, we are offering this opportunity to get that.”

The first 750 families will receive flashlights from Red Cross to start there own preparedness kits.

“Were hoping this will kind of an incentive to come out, so they can use that to start their own backpack or start their own preparedness kit,” Unruh said. “That is what we always use to start your own kit.”

SPCA will have a booth to teach people how to prepare for their pet’s safety during disasters and how to give a pet CPR. Unruh said people often don’t think about their pets and animals until a disaster is happening. She is hoping this will make people realize it is not just their families they need to be thinking about.

“It was a big thing during Hurricane Katrina,” Unruh said. “People were refusing to leave their homes because of their pets. We will have our pet mannequins on hand for people to practice.”

Unruh said it is important to get out in the community before disasters strike to let people know they should be thinking about what they need to do. That is why they are having the Monday event.

“The reason why we stepped forward, and we are being a primary partner with this and getting this organized for the community, is we want to make the community aware of Red Cross, and we are here to help,” Unruh said. “One of those ways is to prepare you, and if something does happen, we are going to be one of the first ones out there to provide you food and shelter.”