FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 24, 2005

CONTACT: Stephanie Tveidt, DPS communication officer, 605.773.3212

September’s State Fair preparedness event helps families plan for disaster

PIERRE, S.D. – In accordance with the nationwide September citizen preparedness efforts, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety and the South Dakota American Red Cross will be at the State Fair Saturday, Sept. 3 to Saturday, Sept. 10, to educate South Dakotans about the importance of preparing for any emergency during South Dakota’s Citizen Preparedness Week, Sept. 3 – 10, 2005.

According to Public Safety Secretary Tom Dravland families can protect their loved ones by designing a family communications plan and putting together an emergency kit. Dravland said that having a plan is the best way to be ready for any type of disaster that could occur in South Dakota.

“Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and then review what you will do in different emergency situations,” Dravland said. 

Department of Public Safety and the South Dakota American Red Cross officials will be available to the public at their Public Safety booth daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) 

Activities include:

·          Citizen Preparedness giveaways

·          Daily prizes: 

o       8 weather radios

o       8 mini-emergency kits

o       2 emergency kits

·          “Masters of Disaster” -- daily education seminar for children at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

o       Presenters will educate children about helping their parents create a family disaster plan (http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/)

“Kids in South Dakota have an opportunity to take the lead in disaster preparedness in our state” said South Dakota American Red Cross state relations liaison, Mary Tveit. “The American Red Cross believes children can be very influential in promoting their family communications plans and preparing an emergency kit.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the American Red Cross are co-sponsoring efforts during September 2005 to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. 

**MEDIA NOTE: Visit www.state.sd.us/homeland for more information about the campaign, for Secretary Dravland’s Citizen Preparedness PSA, and for Governor Rounds’ executive proclamation.

South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s mission is to keep South Dakota a safe place to live, work, visit and raise a family. Visit www.state.sd.us/dps for more information about the department and its agencies.

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