Disaster Man to Visit Islands

Starting this week, local eccentric and emergency preparedness nut Disaster Man will be spotted across the islands. Armed with a brilliantly colored collection of safety equipment, preparedness brochures, disaster supply give-aways, and a great sense of humor, Disaster Man will be talking to islanders about how to be prepared to be on their own for at least seven days.

“We’re trying to reach out to the community and do some education in a way that goes beyond the usual approaches” explained County and Town Emergency Management Director Brendan Cowan. “Clearly the goal is to make a rather onerous subject a bit more fun, and hopefully it will prove to be an effective way to spread the word.”

Disaster Man is the brainchild and alter ego of Preparedness Coordinator James Kellogg, who has been tasked with the challenging job of getting islanders to take their responsibility to be prepared a bit more seriously.

Says Kellogg, “The recent storms have been a wake up call for many of us. My vision is that the wind and snow will provide the motivation, and I can step in with simple info on what the next steps are and offer my assistance to those starting to prepare. It doesn’t need to be difficult.”

Disaster Man will be found at the following locations over the next week, in addition to his usual random sightings throughout the islands:

Lopez Island: Lopez Village Market, Tuesday January 9 from 3:00 -5:00pm

Orcas Island: Orcas Island Market, Thursday January 11 from 4:00 – 6:00pm

San Juan Island: King’s Grocery: Saturday January 13 from 12:00 – 4:00pm

To schedule a Disaster Man visit, for help with preparing, or to ask questions of any kind, call 378-9932 or email HYPERLINK "mailto:prepare@sanjuandem.net" prepare@sanjuandem.net

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