Program Type:
In person - Attend at locationProgram Description
Event Details
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: Do you have a plan for communicating with your family and loved ones during an emergency? Join representatives from the Department of Emergency Management, JeffCom 911, and VECOM and learn the best ways to create an effective communication plan and where to find reliable information during disasters and emergencies.
Keppie Keplinger is the Deputy Director and Public Information Officer for the Department of Emergency Management. She has served our county for the past 17 years. In addition, she brings a wealth of experience from her background as Public Affairs Officer for FEMA from 1997 to 2007.
John Miller is Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) for the Jefferson County VECOM (Volunteer Emergency Communicators) organization, which provides emergency communications equipment and staff in times of emergency or disaster. John has been a licensed radio amateur for 33 years, and has worked in Information Technology for 40-plus years. In addition, John is a volunteer Engineer for the Port Townsend community radio station KPTZ, 91.9 FM. He is an instrument-rated private pilot.
Matt Stewart is the director at Jeffcom 911 Communications, the emergency communications center for Jefferson County. Jeffcom’s communications officers answer 911 and non-emergency calls and dispatch the county’s public-safety agencies. Matt’s career has been in public service in Illinois and Washington, supplemented by volunteer work in search-and-rescue, fire and EMS, wildland fire, ski patrol, and amateur emergency communications. He has a B.A. in anthropology and a certificate in geospatial science and maintains an EMT license and an Amateur Extra ham license.
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.
