City of Rancho Mirage to host a free emergency preparedness seminar in February

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Rancho Mirage Mayor Steve Downs | City of Rancho Mirage website

The City of Rancho Mirage has announced an upcoming emergency preparedness training event titled "Readiness Seminar: The First 72 Hours." This seminar, organized by the city’s Emergency Preparedness Commission, is scheduled to take place early next year.

As per an announcement on the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce website, this public seminar will occur from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26, 2024, in the Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory Community Room. A reception featuring snacks and refreshments will commence at 5:30 p.m., with no registration required for either the reception or the seminar.

The announcement further states that the seminar aims to provide insight into what can be expected from first responders within the initial 72 hours following a significant earthquake or other major disaster. The panel will comprise local experts from various organizations such as CalFire, Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Riverside County Emergency Management, Eisenhower Medical Center, Southern California Edison, Coachella Valley Water District and the Coachella Valley Disaster Preparedness Network.

As stated on the City of Rancho Mirage website, the Emergency Preparedness Commission consists of five members and two technical advisors who are appointed by the City Council. Established in 1998, this commission was formed with a mission to "prepare and train Rancho Mirage residents and businesses for natural disasters like major earthquakes and floods."

In addition to organizing seminars like this one, according to the City of Rancho Mirage website, the Emergency Preparedness Commission also provides free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training twice annually for response team volunteers. This three-day course offers a blend of classroom instruction and practical exercises covering disaster preparedness topics such as fire safety, medical triage, search and rescue operations, structure size up assessments among others.