Rain Cuts Short Beverly Hills Emergency Preparedness Fair

Beverly Hills marked National Preparedness Month Sunday with its Just in Case BH Emergency Preparedness Fair, bringing residents together with local emergency resources before an unexpected round of rain forced organizers to cut the event short.

The Beverly Hills Fire Department hosted the free community event in partnership with Just in Case BH at 9333 Third Street, adjacent to the Beverly Hills Farmers' Market. Originally scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the fair was designed to give residents practical information about preparing their homes and families for emergencies and disasters.

As moderate rain moved through the area, organizers announced that the event would conclude ahead of schedule.

"Due to moderate rain, our community preparedness fair will conclude early to preserve everyone's safety. We thank the community members and our volunteers for participating this morning."

The fair was part of the city's observance of National Preparedness Month, this year organized around the theme "Beverly Hills Stands Ready." The city's preparedness programs emphasize planning for emergencies in which police, fire and medical resources may face delays following a major disaster.

A major focus of Just in Case BH this year has been making residents familiar with the city's nine emergency zones. Beverly Hills recently renamed the zones to align its system with the State of California and surrounding emergency agencies. The former Zone 1 is now BHL 101, Zone 2 is BHL 201, with the numbering continuing across the city's nine geographic areas.

"Preparedness is a shared responsibility. It's important our residents know what zone they are part of that may be referenced during an evacuation order or emergency."

Beverly Hills Fire Chief Greg Barton made that statement earlier this year while encouraging residents to learn their updated emergency-zone designation. The zones can be used by emergency services to communicate evacuation orders, traffic control points and other critical information during an emergency.

Just in Case BH also works with the Fire Department on Community Emergency Response Team training, CPR instruction and neighborhood-level disaster preparation. The city's next CERT community training is scheduled to begin in October.

Although Sunday's weather shortened the outdoor fair, the city's emergency preparedness programs and training continue throughout the year.