Are seniors prepared for disasters? La Mesa health library has survival tips

The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free senior discussion group presentation on “Emergency Preparedness,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28. The public is invited to attend, and RSVP is not required. For more information, phone the library at (619) 825‑5010 or visit www.herricklibrary.org.

The speaker will be Tom Amabile, senior emergency services coordinator for the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services. Amabile will discuss the risks and dangers of not preparing for an emergency and how to build your own emergency kit containing items that will help you survive on your own for three-to-five days.

Amabile said that two-thirds of San Diego County residents feel that it is either likely or highly likely that they will be affected by a major disaster, but only half have taken the time to formally plan for such an event. With more than 26 years of experience in emergency management, Amabile serves as a coordinator for regional emergency response exercises, training instructor for emergency operations staff, administrator for the San Diego Operational Area Hazardous Incident Response Team and as principle planner for regional multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation planning, including nuclear power plant, marine oil spill and other emergency responses.

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. The library is operated by the Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County.