Presentations selected for 19th annual Pinal County Town Hall

“Safe At Home” – Residential Emergency Preparedness is the theme selected for the nineteenth annual Pinal County Town Hall, April 26 – 28.

More than 140 delegates are expected to attend the sessions at the Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort, Casa Grande. The registration deadline is April 15.

Arizona Office of Homeland Security Director, Frank F. Navarrete, is the invited keynote speaker for Wednesday’s opening banquet and ceremonies.

Thursday’s agenda will feature the following informative sessions:

“Safe At Home” – Taking Responsibility – Forming A Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Presenter: Captain Curt Holiday – Chandler Fire Department

“Safe At Home” – Identifying Resources
Presenter: Erin Barber – Pinal County Red Cross

“Safe At Home” – Rescuing Animals and Pets
Presenter: Chip Wilson, President, Superstition Mountain Horsemen’s Association

“Safe At Home” – Keeping Connected
Presenters: Judy Kioski and Gregory Roybal, Arizona 2-1-1;Arizona Division of Emergency Management

The Thursday noon luncheon will be highlighted by the announcement of the Pinal County Youth of the Year and the recipients of the 2006 Constellation Awards.

The afternoon will conclude with an eyewitness account of how increased personal responsibility may have reduced the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Firefighters David Strayer and Tony LaFalce, Casa Grande Fire Department, will share: “Katrina: Lessons Learned About Personal Responsibility.”

Thursday evening’s program will feature The LaughingStock Comedy Club of Tucson as its members take a humorous look at the nuances and idiosyncrasies of Pinal County.

Friday morning’s session, “An Impending Flu Pandemic – Myth or Reality?” will review previous pandemics and project the possibility of their repetition in the United States. The session will close with a mock disaster simulation “Table Top” exercise.

The anticipated outcomes for the delegates are:

To increase Pinal County’s citizens’ awareness of the importance of
emergency preparedness (responsibility, readiness, resources).

To provide practical strategies for individual emergency preparedness.

To foster networking and collaboration among the attendees and their circle of influence.

Pinal County Town Hall Director Karl Peterson.

A pre-conference workshop, “Can Your Business Recover From A Catastrophic Event,” is being offered by the Central Arizona College Small Business Development Center in partnership with Michigan State University.

Pinal County Supervisor, Sandie Smith, explained: “Preparation for the unexpected begins with each of us. It is a personal responsibility. Our timely Town Hall topic will provide awareness, information and resources, which will enable all of us to be more “Safe At Home.”

For more information on registration, Youth of the Year or Constellation Awardnominations, or pre-conference CAC/SBDC participation, please contact: Karl Peterson, Director Pinal County Town Hall at (520) 836-3237 or via email.