By Ruth Steinhardt
The George Washington University held its 13th annual Safety and Security Expo Tuesday afternoon, at which GW community members had a chance to interact with local agencies, join campus organizations, assemble their own disaster preparedness kits and learn safety tips.
Under fall sunshine, organizations tabling in the center of University Yard handed out information on fire safety, crime prevention and campus security. As in previous years, attendees could enjoy free food, practice how to safely approach and extinguish a fire and tour the inside of some emergency response vehicles, including a U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service mobile command center.
The centerpiece of the expo was an assembly line where students, faculty and staff put together 635 miniature disaster preparedness kits.
Darrell Darnell, senior associate vice president for safety and security at GW, said recent environmental catastrophes have brought home the necessity for preparedness at every level.
“The expo continues to be a great event to remind our GW community of the importance of emergency preparedness and the resources we have available here at GW and in the community to help keep us all safe,” Mr. Darnell said. “Unfortunately, the catastrophic hurricanes in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean are acute reminders that we can never be too prepared. Hopefully, the expo provided information and education that can help each of us be more prepared as individuals and as a community.”