JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As hurricane season approaches, city leaders are encouraging members of the Jacksonville community to make sure they are ready before the storms hit.
Community members are getting hands-on training and safety tips on Friday at JaxReady Fest at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
The free event continues until 3 p.m. Friday and will be open again from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Crowds gathered Friday at the interactive event focused on helping families prepare for hurricane season and related emergencies before they happen.
From teaching young children how to make a 911 call, to creating at-home first-aid and preparation kits, city leaders say the goal is simple—make preparations easy and accessible for everyone.
Officials with the city’s Emergency Preparedness Division, along with community partners like JEA, are sharing resources and safety information — especially important as we head into hurricane season and the busy summer months. Mayor Donna Deegan also spoke to participants at the event.
“Jacksonville, as you know, is a coastal city with more than 850 square miles and one of the largest populations in the Southeast. Our exposure to storms and emergencies is not hypothetical,” Deegan said. “Somebody asked me this morning, ‘Well, we haven’t been hit in a long time directly.’ No, we haven’t, but we’ve watched other people get hit directly, and we’ve also seen what happens when we get hit indirectly, and it’s been a pretty big darn deal.”
City leaders say that preparation today can save lives tomorrow and encourage families to have a plan and to stay ready.