(Washington, DC) – The District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) will conduct a basic emergency preparedness seminar for residents of the District’s Ethiopian community at 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Sunday, August 29, 2010, at Kidus Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church, 2601 Evarts Street, NE, Washington, DC.
Please Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event, originally scheduled for August 22, has been rescheduled for Sunday, August 29, from 10:30 am–12:30 pm.
DC HSEMA Director Millicent West said, “The purpose of this seminar is to introduce the Ethiopian community, particularly those members who are non– and limited-English speaking to the fundamental concepts of basic emergency preparedness. There are many people in this community that have not been exposed to the kind of basic emergency preparedness information that will help them prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency. This event will help close that gap and, hopefully, provide those who attend with an incentive to learn more about personal and community preparedness.”
Key components of the seminar include:
- Observing preparedness actions in an extreme heat scenario in the DC area
- Learning how to prepare an emergency Ready To-Go Kit
- Learning the importance of having an Emergency Evacuation Plan for individuals, families and for the community
- Learning the benefits of signing up for DC Text Alerts
An Amharic-language interpreter will be present to provide interpretation. Seminar materials will be available in both Amharic and English.
Persons seeking additional information should contact Kim McCall at (202) 481-3015 for information in English. Please contact Daniel Belayneh at (202) 319.0045, for information in Amharic.