Strong Teams Expo promotes preparedness

By Mark Iacampo, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria-HohenfelsOctober 3, 2014

Learning about the area
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Great display
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Zombie apocalypse
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HOHENFELS, Germany -- Organizations from around Hohenfels and the surrounding communities came together to showcase the array of activities available in the area at the Strong Teams Expo, Sept. 25.

Things were a bit different this year as the occasional "animated corpse" shuffled by, part of the Hohenfels National Preparedness Month zombie apocalypse.

"People like zombies," said Mike Haney, Hohenfels Military Community deputy manager. "So, we're using the zombies to catch people's attention and help them understand the importance of being prepared for natural disasters and other emergencies."

The preparedness theme permeated the entire expo.

"Sometimes we don't think about house fires, floods, earthquakes or even the power going out for three days," said Lara Clagett, Mobilization and Deployment program manager. "So, how do we better prepare our Soldiers and family members?

"We realized every agency has a piece of preparedness, everybody can talk about being prepared -- being financially prepared, or if your car breaks down. So we pulled them all together at this expo. This is a full community effort to raise awareness about preparedness."

From the fire department discussing smoke detectors and holiday season fire safety to Community Bank promoting savings in preparation for auto repairs, medical emergencies and more, each agency managed to share their services while raising awareness about the importance of being prepared.

National Preparedness Month's theme is, "Get a kit. Make a plan. Stay informed," and Hohenfels followed that advice.

While the provost marshal's office offered a list of winter survival items one should carry in their car such as a shovel, flashlight, matches and candles, the commissary provided a list for home emergency kits.

"We're talking about foods you don't have to cook, like canned meats and dried foods, as well as items you might not think of right away as emergency items like manual can openers, hand sanitizer and pet food," said James Gallagher, Hohenfels Commissary store director.

Along with being prepared, the expo also highlighted recreational activities both on and off post.

The Lupburg Tourist Office offered maps and brochures detailing the many hiking and biking trails around Parsberg and Lupburg, while the city of Velburg promoted such activities as King Otto's Cave and the town's high ropes course.

In all, nearly 30 organizations joined the expo, sharing their resources and amenities with throngs of Soldiers, family members, civilians, and shuffling zombies.

Hohenfels Community Health Nurse Janet Rogers, also clad as a zombie, offered this advice while promoting this year's flu vaccination.

"The best way to prepare for any natural disaster is to get yourself as healthy as possible," she said. "A flu pandemic is much more likely than a zombie apocalypse."

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