Commissioner Jess Santamaria's May 16th community forum

For immediate release: Date: May 17, 2007
For more information, call: 561 355-2754

Commissioner Jess Santamaria addresses a crowd gathered at Old Wellington Mall for a community forum regarding hurricane preparedness.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria hosted a Hurricane Preparedness Forum on May 16, urging residents to properly prepare for the 2007 hurricane season.

The event was held at the original Wellington Mall and is part of Santamaria's monthly community forums with District 6 residents. Guest speakers at the event included Mark Hammond, Executive Director of Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority, Assistant County Administrator Vince Bonvento and Heather Wiley, Disaster Education Coordinator for the American Red Cross.

Residents were given information packets to get ready for the season, including an application form to register animals at Palm Beach County's pet-friendly shelter, a hurricane disaster plan for families, a list of hurricane shelters and safety tips for operating a generator.

Addressing a crowd of about 60 residents, Santamaria said, "This is some very important information that hopefully you won't need."

Bonvento said the 2004 storm season proved that Palm Beach County's emergency response plan efficiently serves residents, but people must also do their part in getting ready for potential storms. "Every year we preach that you need to have a plan and you need to be prepared," he said.

Mark Hammond, Executive Director of Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority, talks to residents about debris cleanup.	Assistant County Administrator Vince Bonvento discusses the County’s emergency response plan in preparation of the 2007 hurricane season.