WNC hosting Emergency Preparedness Class April 11

Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada College

When Kellogg Community College (Battle Creek, Mich.) Lifelong Learning instructor Kevin Boyd arrived in Santa Rosa, Calif., last fall to teach a class on emergency preparedness, he had no idea he’d bear witness to the beginning stages of the most destructive wildfire in California history.

The Tubbs Fire, which started and spread quickly in the nighttime hours of Oct. 8, ultimately resulted in the deaths of more than 40 people, the loss of 3,000 homes — 5 percent of the city’s housing — and $1 billion in property damage.

Boyd is offering that same emergency preparedness class to individuals in an upcoming Lifelong Learning class at Western Nevada College. The class, titled Emergency Preparedness “Grab & Go” Binder with Cloud Backup! will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 11. The one-day class costs $55.

The class will help participants determine which paperwork is crucial to have in the event of fire, flood, natural disaster or medical emergency, and guide them in organizing vital information into a Grab-&-Go binder. Class members will also learn how to convert everything to electronic documents and back it all up to the cloud using free, easy to use, drag and drop tools, and will learn about helpful free apps, preparation tips, evacuation routes and much more.

“You never know when a disaster will strike — a fire, flood, earthquake, etc. Make sure you and your family are prepared,” Boyd said. “Let this expert help you to learn how to prepare and ease your mind.”

The class is offered through Continuing Education. To register, go to www.wnc.edu/wnc-edu-news-ce-class/.