Disaster preparedness event slated for Tigard

Washington County's annual Quake Up! offers tips on how to prepare, respond to crisis events

Quake Up!, the annual Washington County event to promote awareness of earthquake and disaster preparedness, has moved to Tigard.

This year's event takes place as part of the Tigard Street Fair, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, in Downtown Tigard.

QuakeUp! brings together civic, governmental agencies and businesses to organize preparedness events throughout the county. The first Quake Up! event took place in 2015 at the Hillsboro Farmers' Market. Others have been held since then in Beaverton, Cornelius and North Plains.

The program partners with National Preparedness Month and Oregon ShakeOut.

"Quake Up! is about preparing individuals, families, neighborhoods, businesses county-wide so everyone is better able to manage a major natural disaster," said Stan Houseman, Quake Up! team lead. "It's what we do before that will make all the difference in getting back to normal quickly."

Vendors and exhibitors include the American Red Cross, NW Natural, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Washington County Office of Emergency Management and many more.

Speakers will be at Café Allegro, 12386 S.W. Main St. Speakers include Brian Dobecki, of the Beaverton Community Emergency Response Team; Stacy Metzger, who will discuss how households should prepare for an emergency; Mike Stump, who will discuss how people without medical training can treat a bleeding, life-threatening injury; and Cynthia Valdivia, who will make a presentation in Spanish on how families should prepare for disasters.

Speakers' presentations will be recorded for future cablecast by Tualatin Valley Community Television. A schedule and links will be posted in advance at www.QuakeUpNW.org.