CHIMACUM — The fourth annual All-County Picnic, a free all-ages community celebration designed to inspire preparedness and resiliency, is scheduled Sunday at H.J. Carroll Park in Chimacum.
The event, set from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 9884 state Highway 19, will be presented by Local 20/20, the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management and Thunderbull Productions.
The goal is to heighten awareness of local emergency resources throughout Jefferson County.
“One of the things we’re trying to strive for is personal reliance and neighborhood resilience so that when there is something catastrophic, the neighborhoods are taking care of each other while we’re getting the government agencies able to provide services,” said Tanda McMillin-Cox, community operations program coordinator for Jefferson County Emergency Management.
It will be much more than a picnic, organizers say.
It will feature live music, free corn on the cob, information booths, speakers and demonstrations, a play zone and group activities.
Among the topics to be discussed will be Cascadia Rising, a statewide drill earlier this summer that simulated response to a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resultant tsunami along the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific Coast.
The 800-mile fault, which stretches from southern British Columbia to Northern California, spawns massive earthquakes an average of once every 200 to 500 years, with the last in about 1700.
Such a massive quake would isolate the North Olympic Peninsula, cutting off electricity and aid, emergency management officials say.
“We’re optimistic that there’s enough interest generated from [Cascadia Rising] that we’ll have the largest turnout ever,” McMillin-Cox said, adding that each year, the event has gotten bigger and bigger.
New to this year’s All County Picnic will be the earthquake relay, which will engage community members in a variety of tasks.
This includes shucking 500 ears of fresh corn, hauling water and assembling a community resources puzzle, all in an effort to simulate a collaborative community response in the event of an emergency.
The interactive relay will begin at 12:30 p.m.
Also new will be a community preparedness forum with elected officials and emergency responders.
The forum is an opportunity to hear from emergency responders on what their agencies would likely be dealing with 48 hours into a massive earthquake.
Participating agencies include East Jefferson Fire-Rescue, the Port Townsend Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Public Utility District, amateur radio operators, county Public Works, JeffCom 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers and the county Department of Emergency Management.
More than 100 volunteers will stage more than 40 booths — each designed to raise awareness about a different aspect of resilience and emergency preparedness.
“Talking about and preparing for disaster is difficult — it’s not something that you want to discuss with your family, your neighbors — but it is crucial,” said Bob Hamlin, director of the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management in a news release.
“The beauty and the dichotomy of the All County Picnic is that we can have this difficult conversation in an environment that is fun, welcoming and supportive.”
Participating booths will feature a wide range of information and activities including electric vehicle and bicycle test-drives, emergency sanitation, rain gardens, solar displays, cargo bikes, best practices on emergency preparedness, a community leaders booth as well as a political candidates booth.
“This event is as much about networking and making connections as it is about sharing information and resources,” said Danny Milholland of Thunderbull Productions and co-organizer of the event.
With high temperatures expected Sunday, McMillin-Cox suggested dressing appropriately for the heat and bringing water.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5550, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
