Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – Alachua County Emergency Management will host a training workshop, “Emergency Responder and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community: Taking the First Steps to Disaster Preparedness” on January 17, 2013, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Alachua County Emergency Operations Center (1100 SE 27th Street, Gainesville) to a group of local emergency responders, managers and planners, and deaf and hard of hearing consumers. The goal of the course is to encourage networking, preparation and communication between the two communities prior to disaster situations.

The workshop is restricted to no more than 25 deaf and hard of hearing consumers and 25 first responders/government officials from the Gainesville area.

This training is being provided through an agreement with Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN), Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. from Silver Spring, Maryland.  This agreement allows CEPIN to present its unique and vital workshop to small and mid-sized communities across the country.

"The training will educate emergency responders and planners on the various types of communication preferences and on how to determine the most appropriate accommodation,” said David Donnelly, Emergency Management Director and Intelligence Liaison Officer, Alachua County Fire Rescue.  “Deaf and hard of hearing consumers will identify tools in working with emergency responders in order to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness efforts at the local and state level.”

Deaf and hard of hearing consumers and first responders/government officials wishing to take the all-day training can apply by contacting David Donnelly at 352-264-6500 or alw@alachuacounty.us by January 10, 2013.