Contact: Armand Randolph (401) 462-7183 (401) 641-8269 www.riema.ri.gov
RIEMA to Host Free Disaster Preparedness Seminar for Senior Citizens
Cranston, RI—The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs (RIDEA), the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), National Grid, Rhode Island Red Cross, and United Way 2-1-1 will host a free Disaster Preparedness Seminar event geared towards Rhode Island senior citizens on August 16th from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm at the Salvatore Mancini Resource & Activity Center.
The event will consist of a presentation on the importance of developing a disaster-supply kit, making an emergency communications and medical plan, and knowing what local emergency resources are available to seniors. Following the presentation, RIEMA and the supporting organizations will assist seniors with signing up to receive CodeRED emergency alerts, signing up with the Rhode Island Special Needs Emergency Registry, and filling out emergency contact and medical forms. There will also be vendors providing additional information and discussing relative best practices.
"The impact of an incident has the potential to disrupt are day-to-day activities for hours, days, weeks even months and senior citizens in particular can be more vulnerable and may need more help planning" said RIEMA Director Peter Gaynor. "One of our main initiatives to assist seniors will be to host similar seminars in each County throughout the State in an effort to broaden our preparedness outreach efforts to the Rhode Island senior citizen population."
The Senior Citizen Disaster Preparedness Seminar is open to the public. For additional information, contact the Salvatore Mancini Resource & Activity Center at (401) 231-0742.
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PR: 16-17