Winter preparedness event in Springfield Thursday

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - With the official start of winter approaching, officials from Greene County want people to be prepared for any incoming winter weather. The Greene County Office of Emergency Management will be hosting a free event this Thursday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Springfield at the Library Station. Deputy Director Darren White says that while the agency hosts events like this often, it’s the first time they teamed up with the library to put this event on.

“The library actually called us and asked if would do this for them,” White said. “Of course, we jumped at that opportunity.” In terms of what the event will cover, White says winter weather advisories, watches and warnings would be discussed. From there, the focus will turn to how people can properly prepare at home or if they’ll be on the road. White also says the advice won’t be limited to just adults.

“With kids, we get excited,” says White. “We go out and play in the snow and have snowball fights and build snowmen. We don’t always - younger children don’t always think about what it’s actually doing to their skin or their health and safety. So, parents can keep an eye on that, of course.” The advice at hand will also apply for the elderly, especially those with pre-existing conditions. “Any kind of pre-existing health issue could potentially be compounded through winter weather with the cold, the extreme temperatures and things like that,” White states. “As we know, the elderly population may have more pre-existing health conditions already. So, that would be something to focus on and is it affecting how they can deal with the winter weather.”

With this event, the department’s only benefit is to have a good showing of people ready to heed the advice they have to properly prepare themselves, their homes and their cars for wintry weather. “That’s our job here - to plan and prepare for what may happen,” White states. “To have an audience of people that would be willing to listen and implement things to help keep them safe - that’s what we see as our benefit. If the public, if the citizens can do things that we’ve encouraged or that we have advised on and they stay safe, we’re happy.”

The event takes place this Thursday night at 6:30. It will be held in the Frisco Room at the Library Station on Kansas Expressway. More information about the event can be found on the library’s website.

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