“Be prepared” is not just a boy scout motto. It was also the theme of this year’s Emergency Preparedness Fair, which gave students resources and information about how to prepare and survive a natural disaster or emergency.

PG&E, the National Weather Service and the United Animal Nations were just a few of the organizations represented at the event.

Staci Louie, a business community coordinator, said the fair is about personal preparedness for individuals and families in case of an emergency at work, home or while traveling.

“If we prepare ourselves and our families to be self-sufficient, that is one less family that emergency services will have to rescue,” she said.

Louie said one of the fair’s biggest items is the seventy-two hour kit. The kit was created to provide basic survival needs in the case of a natural disaster.

Kits are available at all sporting goods stores or can be custom created by purchasing survival supplies and storing them in backpacks. Informational fliers were passed out with checklists of suggested items to put in the survival kits.

Heather Lauter-Clay, a volunteer for the Community Emergency Response Team, said it is especially important for new students to be prepared in case of an emergency.

“A lot of freshmen who are new to the school wouldn’t know what to do or where to go in an emergency because they are new to the area,” she said. “That’s why they need to especially be prepared.”

Officer Ben Louie, who has served on the Sacramento police force for nearly 28 years, said everybody should have basic survival gear stored at his or her home. He said students should be aware of what they need if water, electricity and gas are cut off. Water, food, blankets and flashlights are just some of the items he suggested every student have.

“The average person can go three days without food, but only one day without water,” Louie said.

One of the main focuses at the fair was Sacramento State’s proximity to the Sacramento River. Daniel Wilson, a volunteer for the Community Emergency Response Team, said Sac State is a prime area for flooding

“If there were to be a levy breach, Sac State would be under a foot of water in half an hour,” Wilson said. “Students are the leaders of communities, they are the next workforce? that’s why they need to be the most prepared.”

The fair wasn’t only intended for humans; part of the fair focused on preparing pet owners for disasters.

Susan McKee, a volunteer for the United Animal Nation, said animals are often left or forgotten in a natural disaster because the owners are not prepared.

McKee said that after Hurricane Katrina, there were a lot of problems with animals left behind and there was confusion with owners attempting to re-claim their pets. She suggested that students carry a photo of their pet, so in the event of an emergency, there would be no confusion of whose animal it is.

Daniel Zuniga, a business studies major, said he learned a lot at the fair, and didn’t realize how many simple things he could do to prepare himself.

“You don’t know when disaster can strike, therefore it makes it even more important to be prepared for the disasters you can’t plan.” Zuniga said.

Adina Zerwig can be reached [email protected].