Booths are set up in the Lowe’s parking lot during Lake Elsinore’s Emergency Preparedness Fair. (Photos by Emily Baierl)
Hands-on demonstrations and safety information were offered Sept. 19 during Lake Elsinore’s Emergency Preparedness Fair at Lowe’s.
The event ran from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and featured local agencies and organizations providing information and demonstrations on emergency preparedness and safety.
At the Code Blue CPR booth, participants practiced how to pack a wound and stop severe bleeding.
Leticia Fritzsche, who owns Code Blue CPR with her husband, John, said the demonstrations give people an opportunity to practice what to do before they are faced with a real emergency.
“We just love coming here to demonstrate and have them practice,” Fritzsche said. “It’s a chance for them to see that we’re here, if they ever want to take action and learn these lifesaving skills.”
Code Blue CPR teaches medical and emergency skills, including first aid, CPR and stop the bleed, as well as courses for health care providers.
Fritzsche said people experiencing severe bleeding can have only a few minutes to receive help, while emergency medical services can take longer to arrive. She said knowing how to respond can help people act before emergency personnel arrive.
“Doing something is better than doing nothing,” Fritzsche said.
The California Highway Patrol Temecula’s office also participated in the event, sharing information about traffic safety and services available to residents.
Officer Jesus Garcia said one of the main preparedness tips he was sharing was to keep an emergency kit in a vehicle. The kit can be useful if someone becomes stranded on the side of the freeway without water, blankets or a flashlight.
CHP also shared information about driver safety classes, e-bike safety and what to do after a car accident.
Garcia said these events give residents an opportunity to meet agencies and learn about resources they may not realize are available in their community.
“We feel that we have something to offer as far as general information, traffic safety, and some of the people out there don’t know the services that we offer,” Garcia said. “It opens up your mind. In our day to day, we really don’t think about the importance of being prepared for, let’s say, a fire or an earthquake.”
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization that helps communities before, during and after disasters, was another organization at the event.
The organization volunteers across all 50 states and works on disaster response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
Manny Arcabos, a Team Rubicon volunteer, said Team Rubicon was teaching residents how to build a sandbag diversion wall at their booth, showing them how to arrange the sandbags to help protect their homes from water.
Rather than filling sandbags completely, Arcabos said they should be filled about halfway and placed in a specific pattern so they lock together. He said the demonstration was being offered in preparation for El Niño.
“We want community members to understand the proper way to set up their sandbags,” Arcabos said.
Team Rubicon volunteers have also assisted with disaster response efforts in the Lake Elsinore area, including recovery work following the 2018 Holy Fire and mudslides and flood mitigation work following the Airport Fire.
For Arcabos, helping people during disasters is what makes the work rewarding.
“Just being able to help people,” Arcabos said. “I’ve deployed nationwide to hurricanes, floods and just the gratitude that I get from the people that we help, that’s the most rewarding part.”
The Emergency Preparedness Fair was held as part of National Preparedness Month, which takes place each September and focuses on helping people prepare for emergencies and disasters.
