For the second weekend in a row, the Lakeside Fire Protection District in collaboration with the San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association, Farmers Insurance Company, and over 30 local volunteers walked through some Lakeside Neighborhoods and distributed free information on preparing for Fires and other emergencies.

These "Before the Threat" disaster preparedness packets contain essential life and property saving information including a Homeowners Checklist on how to make your home fire safe, and a 20 minute DVD to help prepare you and your family for the next disaster. It's no secret that there are wildfires that affect Lakeside frequently and the threat exists all year-round, so it's in your best interest to be prepared!

If your neighborhood was not visited and you did not receive a packet, please visit www.ReadySanDiego.org for more information. This is a great website by the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services in conjunction with Homeland Security, to teach and help prepare you for the many different types of disasters that can affect us all in San Diego County. In addition to the useful information and Emergency Videos to watch, you can also sign up for AlertSanDiego, which is used by emergency response personnel to notify homes and businesses at risk with information on any disaster event and/or actions (such as evacuation) they ask you to take.

I signed up for AlertSanDiego on the ReadySanDiego website, and it only took a minute. Even though there is a Reverse 911 system in San Diego County, it's better to add your cell phone to their list, so if you're away from home or not near the phone you'll still be notified of any eminent danger in your neighborhood.