Disaster planning workshops will be offered Tuesday in Aspen and Basalt

A workshop will be offered in Basalt and Aspen on Tuesday to help Roaring Fork Valley residents prepare for emergency situations that might force them out of their home.

The workshop is being timed before the mud-flood season and the fire season. The workshop is designed for all people but especially older residents and those with disabilities.

A workshop will be held at the Basalt Regional Library from 1:30–3 p.m. Tuesday and from 4–5:30 p.m. at Pitkin County Library in Aspen.

“The deadly Camp Fire in Paradise, California, last summer demonstrated that it is mostly people with disabilities and older adults (who) are at the highest risk of being left behind in a catastrophic event like a wildfire,” said a statement from Pitkin County.

Many of the 85 people who are known to have died in the Camp Fire were elderly, infirmed or disabled.

“We want to be proactive in our community to avoid a similar tragedy here,” said Pitkin County emergency manager Valerie MacDonald. “These workshops will give local residents the tools and the skills they need to help themselves and help our first responders help them in the event of a fast-moving incident.”

The workshop will feature a discussion on the hazards residents and visitors potentially face in the Roaring Fork Valley, the importance of signing up to receive emergency alerts, and will provide participants with a series of readiness checklists that are need-specific.

Pitkin County Emergency Management, Pitkin County Human Services, Arc of the Central Mountains and the local fire departments are presenting the workshops.

Since wildfire is considered one of the biggest threats in the valley, the Aspen, Carbondale and Roaring Fork (Basalt and Snowmass Village) fire departments will give a presentation on wildfire preparedness and evacuation tips.

via:: Post Independent