The Metro Public Health Department's Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (PHEP) will host Preparedness Day at the Park again this year at Centennial Park on October 1 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Preparedness Day at the Park is a free event with a goal of building awareness among residents about the importance of being prepared in the wake of an emergency, whether it is a fire, tornado, flood, emerging illness, or act of terrorism.

Federal, state, and local organizations will participate, including the Office of Emergency Management, Vanderbilt LifeFlight, Tennessee National Guard, American Red Cross, Davidson County Sherriff's Office, SWAT, and many more. Each organization will be showcasing some of their most valuable assets to be used during an emergency response such as a mobile booking unit, command operations center, and a mass care shelter.

This event offers an opportunity for residents to talk to each organization and learn more about their response capabilities. Through attending this event, each participant will leave with the knowledge to plan ahead for a disaster, thereby minimizing the effects of an emergency event. The first 250 guests to register to be a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteer will receive a free weather radio (limit one per household). MRC volunteers are not required to be health care workers. These volunteers assist in strengthening public health and improving emergency response capabilities to build community resiliency. Volunteers may be called upon to assist in community preparedness and emergency events.

New this year we will be featuring a special kid's zone making this a great, fun-filled Sunday. There will also be a helicopter landing, food trucks, additional giveaways, and a visit from some of our fur friends over at Metro Animal Care and Control.

For more information about the event call 615/340-8990.