Jefferson County Preparedness Day set for Saturday

Published 1:30 am Thursday, June 25, 2026

CHIMACUM — Jefferson County and the Production Alliance will present Preparedness Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The free family-friendly event will be at Finnriver Farm and Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum.

The event brings together local emergency services, nonprofits, neighborhood groups and educators to build a more resilient community through education and hands-on emergency preparedness training.

“Preparedness Day is more than just an event — it’s an opportunity to empower our community with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to handle emergencies,” said Willie Bence, the county’s director of emergency management. “We want preparedness to be approachable, engaging and something the whole family can take part in.”

Saturday’s event will include a series of workshops:

• “Wildfire Preparedness: Be Prepared for Wildfire Season” from Robert Wittenberg, community risk manager for East Jefferson Fire Rescue, at 10 a.m.

• “Solar and Storage for Power During an Emergency: Spinning Your Meter Backwards All Year Long” from Andy Cochrane of Power Trip Energy, at 11 a.m.

• “Wildlfire Ready: Strengthening Our Community Before the Next Spark,” a panel discussion with experts from the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management, East Jefferson Fire Rescue, Jefferson County Sheriff, Port Townsend Police Department, Jefferson Public Utility District and Jeffcom 911, at 11 a.m.

• “Neighborhood Preparedness” from Neighborhood Leaders in the county’s Neighborhood Preparation program, at noon.

• “Earth Provides Us with Everything We Need” from Robin Greenfield, who is spending a year he is foraging every bite of his food and medicine, at 1:30 p.m.

Jefferson Healthcare will serve free strawberry shortcake at 1 p.m.

This year’s event also will include a tug-of-war at 3 p.m. for a $1,000 prize.

Teams may not exceed 1,500 pounds. Teams composed of members younger than 12 may weigh up to 1,800 pounds.

Throughout the day, visitors will be able to visit representatives of All-In for Jefferson County Parks and Recreation, various candidates for public office, East Jefferson Fire Rescue, Ecumenical Christian Helping Hands Organization (ECHHO), the Food Bank Growers, Good Man Sanitation, HELP Animals, Jeffcom 911 Communications, Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management, a medical tent staffed by Jefferson County Medical Reserve Corps, Jefferson County Public Health, Jefferson County Public Utility District, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Healthcare, ​​Jefferson Transit Authority, KPTZ 91.9 FM, Local 20/20, National Association of Mental Illness Jefferson County, Neighbors Together, NPREP, Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP), KROH 91.1 FM, the Peninsula Trails Coalition, the Port Townsend Paper Company, the Port Townsend Police Department, Power Trip Energy Corporation, PrepareSmart, the Jefferson County Beacon and the Production Alliance.

For more information, visit www.the productionalliance.org/preparednessday.