NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Julie Kallas is the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Reno County Health Department. She urges the public to be prepared for events out of their control.
"Preparedness is more than just tornadoes and fires and things like that," Kallas said. "It is a lost driver's license. It is underinsured in your home. It can look a million different ways depending on who you are and your situation. There are a lot of things that change regardless of your age or things like that. Just staying up with the times and making sure that you are prepared for as much as possible."
Preparedness isn't always about the unexpected.
"If you think about public health emergency preparedness, that is being ready for and being ready to respond to emergencies," Kallas said. "Whether it be natural disaster or a man-made or even already events that you're already looking forward to and that you'll be a part of like the state fair, for example."
There is a group that meets at regular intervals to make sure the community is prepared.
"There is several community partners that work together," Kallas said. "The hospital and Hutch Clinic, emergency management, the health department, the VOAD, which is volunteer organizations active in disaster through the United Way. There are several people that are ready to go just in case of a situation like that."
If you need more information on how you can help, go to https://servks.org/.
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