Learn how to prepare for emergencies at a Disaster Preparedness Fair on Saturday, August 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. This free event will take place at Sodium, 1725 Columbia Avenue, Suite 100, Franklin, TN 37064, and is being organized by the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency and the Franklin Fire Department.

Outside activities include a “Bubble Bonanza” courtesy of the Franklin Fire Department. A fire truck will spray bubbles for kids of all ages to play in (see photo below), from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – swim suits and goggles are recommended! Also outside will be an emergency services “Touch-a-Truck” event, as well as child car seat checks. Educational booths will be located inside with information and classes showing how to assemble a 72-hour emergency kit for you and your family.

This event will serve as a local kick-off event for National Preparedness Month which is observed in September. National Preparedness Month is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) annual campaign to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and communities.

The goal for this September’s National Preparedness Month is to turn awareness into action by motivating all Americans to make and practice an emergency plan.

FEMA officials stress that you may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take several days depending on the severity of the event, your location, and other factors. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, a week, or even longer.

Williamson County Emergency Management Agency Director Mac Purdy said that with the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks occurring this year on September 11th, as well as all of the recent natural disasters that have occurred in both the U.S. and worldwide, citizens realize now more than ever the necessity of preparing for emergencies.

“Emergencies and disasters affect all aspects of a community when they occur. It takes all of us to prepare for the hazards we face; from emergency response organizations and volunteer groups, to each of us as individuals,” said Purdy. “This is a wonderful opportunity for each of us to better prepare ourselves and our community should disaster strike.”

Participants include Atmos Energy (providing complimentary food and drinks), Franklin Fire and Police Departments, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Williamson County Animal Control, Williamson County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, Williamson Medical Center EMS, and others.

For more information about this event, or if you are interested in being involved as an exhibitor, please contact the Franklin Fire Department at (615) 791-3270, or visit our website at www.franklintn.gov/fire.

For more information about creating an emergency kit visit www.ready.gov.

Courtesy www.franklintn.gov

Learn how to prepare for emergencies at a Disaster Preparedness Fair on Saturday, August 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. This free event will take place at Sodium, 1725 Columbia Avenue, Suite 100, Franklin, TN 37064, and is being organized by the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency and the Franklin Fire Department.

Outside activities include a “Bubble Bonanza” courtesy of the Franklin Fire Department. A fire truck will spray bubbles for kids of all ages to play in (see photo below), from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – swim suits and goggles are recommended! Also outside will be an emergency services “Touch-a-Truck” event, as well as child car seat checks. Educational booths will be located inside with information and classes showing how to assemble a 72-hour emergency kit for you and your family.

This event will serve as a local kick-off event for National Preparedness Month which is observed in September. National Preparedness Month is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) annual campaign to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and communities.

The goal for this September’s National Preparedness Month is to turn awareness into action by motivating all Americans to make and practice an emergency plan.

FEMA officials stress that you may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take several days depending on the severity of the event, your location, and other factors. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, a week, or even longer.

Williamson County Emergency Management Agency Director Mac Purdy said that with the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks occurring this year on September 11th, as well as all of the recent natural disasters that have occurred in both the U.S. and worldwide, citizens realize now more than ever the necessity of preparing for emergencies.

“Emergencies and disasters affect all aspects of a community when they occur. It takes all of us to prepare for the hazards we face; from emergency response organizations and volunteer groups, to each of us as individuals,” said Purdy. “This is a wonderful opportunity for each of us to better prepare ourselves and our community should disaster strike.”

Participants include Atmos Energy (providing complimentary food and drinks), Franklin Fire and Police Departments, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Williamson County Animal Control, Williamson County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, Williamson Medical Center EMS, and others.

For more information about this event, or if you are interested in being involved as an exhibitor, please contact the Franklin Fire Department at (615) 791-3270, or visit our website at www.franklintn.gov/fire.

For more information about creating an emergency kit visit www.ready.gov.

With all the different must-do tasks to keep track of and fit into each and every day (sometimes even weekends!), it’s no wonder that often we can’t even remember the last time the family sat down together for a quiet dinner or the last time we got to take part in our favorite activities and hobbies. Sodium, a Franklin TN Community Center is a place to re-center our lives and a center that promotes a proactive initiative in achieving a better-balanced lifestyle that provides the opportunity for families to relax, grow, and develop.

The Sodium experience will bring families into an expansive, upscale two-story environment with separate rooms for a variety of relaxing and fun activities that all have the common goal of reinforcing principal family values to strengthen bonds between each member of the family. An interactive video and music environment is set up in the open space to motivate individuals to participate in high-energy activities that will get the blood pumping and bursts of laughter going. After a round of upbeat excitement, venture into other rooms inside the Sodium to discover more low-key, yet still exciting and family-oriented things to do.

One could visit the coffee-shop style sitting areas to chatter about the happenings and updates in each family member’s lives. Constant and open communication is vital to maintaining a close-knit family so any kind of discussion is a great way for keeping spouses informed of each other's lives and personal needs, for parents to remain in touch with their children’s lives, and even for siblings to keep in mind the importance of sibling support and compassion. So, throughout the day, try to keep track of some stories from the workplace to help children understand their parents’ hard-working days, any updates about test and homework grades from school to either give parents an idea of any troubleshooting areas in kids’ academics. Better yet is a chance to give the kids a well-earned high-five and a pat on the back.

For families craving a more hands-on experience, the Franklin TN community center offers numerous themed studios that will satisfy the different interests of each member of the family whether it is in art and music or science and tinkering in the garage toolkit. The themed studios at the Sodium are ideal places to spend anywhere from an hour on a single activity to several days for introducing the family to multiple new hobbies. In these areas, it is not unusual to see the children of the family instructing their parents in science projects or the young toddlers helping older siblings to get back into the groove of using their creative minds for drawing and painting. Furthermore, activity time does not have to end at the Sodium because once you have discovered something that the family is interested in and have kindled together at the Sodium, it’s easy to go back home and create family time in your own living room.

In addition to the vision of the Sodium to remind families the importance of relationships, marriage, and parenting, the community center seeks to foster the growth of local churches, non-profit organizations, and businesses by providing visibility opportunities such as teaching and performances that display talents. The Sodium is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization thus we seek to give back rather than gain, and have interests in pursuing relationships with both for-profit and other non-profit organizations alike. Although the Sodium is for the benefit of the community, all community support is welcomed. Any amount of financial support is always greatly appreciated and whether you are an individual or a group looking to donate some of your time, opportunities are always available for any willing hands!