Disaster and Emergency Preparedness: Hazards in Our Area

An encore presentation of each session will be held on the same day at 5:30 pm.

Join us each month for an informative presentation about disaster and emergency preparedness. Each session will focus on a different topic and outline steps to prepare for various emergencies, including winter storms, earthquakes, and wildfires.  Miss one? Recorded presentations will be uploaded to the Emergency Preparedness Talks playlist.

This month: As wildfire risk increases in Jefferson County, East Jefferson Fire Rescue is expanding its outreach to educate residents on wildfire behavior and prevention. In this session, Laura Guth, a seasoned emergency responder and current Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager, will share practical information and resources to help protect properties and neighborhoods.

Laura Guth volunteers for the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management, where she is the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager and Disaster Airlift Response Team (DART) liaison. Laura started her career in the Navy as a mechanical engineer and aviator. Over the years, she also worked in the Coast Guard, and for Boeing. She participated in flight operations during major floods in CA, the Exxon Valdez cleanup in Prince William Sound, AK, and Haitian Migration operations in the Caribbean Sea, and is credited with saving over 200 people during her career. Laura has called Port Townsend her home since 2017, and is proud to have her daughters follow in her footsteps.

These presentations are a collaborative effort among organizations that support emergency preparedness and response in Jefferson County. Throughout the year, you will hear from Neighborhood Preparedness (NPREP), Volunteer Emergency Communications (VECOM), the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), and more.