Photos: West End Emergency Preparedness Fair

The West End of Cook County hosted an Emergency Preparedness Fair at the Birch Grove Community Center on Saturday, August 15. Presentations ranged from cybersecurity to fire extinguishers and smoke alarms, Firewise home preparedness, caring for your animals in an emergency, and portable AEDs.

“Being prepared ahead of time–before you need it–is the key thing here because in an emergency, your brain is going a thousand miles an hour. You don’t want to be having to make decisions,” said Dr. Katie of Sawtooth Mountain Mobile Vet Clinic.

Smokey the Bear took photos with attendees during the lunch break, while the Lutsen Volunteer Fire Department demonstrated the infrared capabilities of their drone. A silent auction and raffle rounded out the event.

Here are additional resources shared during the fair:
Cook County Firewise https://cookcountyfirewise.org
Red Cross “Sound the Alarm” https://www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.html
Cybersecurity tips (see flyer photo below)

Photos by Chuck Olsen

Chuck Olsen August 15, 2026