EMSA Preparedness Expo Helps Students Prepare for Emergency Situations

When natural disasters like Storm Sandy happen in the world, people ask “Are You Ready?” to manage emergency situations.

The Emergency Management Student Association will ask students this question, which is FEMA’s current national theme, and show students how to be prepared for emergency situations at its upcoming expo.

EMSA’s sixth Preparedness Expo will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Great Plains Ballroom and will feature information booths to teach community members how to be better equipped to manage natural disasters.

“We live in an increasingly unstable environment, and this expo will help give students the knowledge they need to be prepared for that,” Andrew Puckett, the vice president of EMSA, said.

Usually held in September in honor of national preparedness month, the EMSA decided to hold the event in November this year in order to put more emphasis on preparedness throughout the year.

The expo exists to bring the community together to advocate preparedness and teach the public how to assist stakeholders in their mission. The expo is also offered to show the community what the emergency management field has to offer.

Puckett said the most challenging part of the event in getting so many people and organizations involved in the expo. This year 17 organizations will be present, all composed of full-time students as well as informational booths on emergency management.

All of the organizations present will help the public learn something new about preparedness, Puckett said.

“Preparedness cannot be done by just one organization,” Puckett said. “It takes collaboration among many different players and stakeholders to try to facilitate community preparedness.”

The expo will be particularly beneficial to those interested in preparedness and emergency management though it will be beneficial to everyone.

“All members of the public will learn something new about preparedness,” Puckett said.

Puckett feels collaboration in the community is important, and feels the greatest benefit to the expo will be the knowledge people will take away about how they can be prepared for disaster.

“It takes individuals and households to truly make a community prepared and resilient, and we want to help achieve this,” Puckett said.

Puckett said his favorite booth at the expo is titled “Are your Ducks in a Row” which features different PSAs created by the Disaster Preparedness class, as well as rubber ducks.

“If you like rubber ducks in any way, shape, or form, you will absolutely love this booth,” said Puckett. “The best part? You can pick out a duck and keep it.”

There will be a silent auction to raise money for the EMSA. “So you might just get some great items cheap,” Puckett said.