County Works with Partners to Distribute Disaster Buckets, Offers Online Preparedness

County Works with Partners to Distribute Disaster Buckets, Offers Online Preparedness

Leon County encourages citizens to make disaster preparedness a family affair with the launch of the 2021 virtual Build Your Bucket event. The virtual experience provides resources and information for households to make a plan and gather supplies, including a full hurricane preparedness bucket checklist. As part of these preparation efforts, Leon County partnered with Elder Care Services and the Salvation Army to deliver buckets filled with starter supplies to those in critical need. Leon County encourages everyone in our community to prepare ahead of future storms by visiting the virtual Build Your Bucket event at LeonCountyFL.gov/DisasterBucket.

“As the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season continues, gathering preparedness supplies is an important step in ensuring the well-being of each family in our community,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor. “Families should make a disaster plan today, and the County has online resources to make it easier than ever.”

In an ongoing partnership with Elder Care Services and the Salvation Army, Leon County coordinated the delivery 150 disaster buckets filled with life-saving supplies to those in critical need. The distribution of hurricane preparedness supplies was aimed at preparing local seniors and families who may have been unable to attend previous Build Your Bucket events.

“Leon County works together with neighborhood leaders, community partners, local officials, and so many other experts to ensure we are prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them and mitigate against their impacts,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “At Leon County Government, we know firsthand the importance of resilience in the face of disaster, at every level of our organization and in the community we serve.”

Since 2015, Build Your Bucket brought thousands of community members together to learn about disaster preparation from dozens of local experts and nonprofits. Last year, the annual event was moved online due to the ongoing public health emergency presented by COVID-19. The first virtual Build Your Bucket reached thousands of citizens online with hurricane preparedness information. This year, the event will again be hosted virtually at LeonCountyFL.gov/DisasterBucket.

“We know that hurricanes of any magnitude can pose a threat to lives and property,” said Leon County Emergency Management Director Kevin Peters. “And with the recent landfalls of Claudette, Danny and Elsa, we know it’s important for each of us to make a plan with our families and gather essential preparedness supplies before disaster strikes.”

The virtual Build Your Bucket experience features:

• Ways to learn about disaster preparedness from County departments, state agencies and community nonprofits who respond to disaster.
• Disaster preparedness resources including guidance on how to build a “bucket list” of critical disaster items such as nonperishable food, medications, important documents, face masks, hand sanitizer, soap and more.
• Downloadable and printable versions of the 2021 Leon County Disaster Survival Guide.
• Tips and tricks to stay safe from Billy The Bucket, Leon County’s hurricane preparedness mascot.
• Information on how to stay connected and informed with the latest emergency information throughout hurricane season.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and into hurricane season, we have adapted our operations to ensure that the seniors we serve receive the supplies and the care they need to stay safe,” said Elder Care Services CEO Jocelyne Fliger. “We thank Leon County for their support as we continue to serve the seniors in our community.”

“Disasters like hurricanes can be especially dangerous for those who are already vulnerable in our community,” said Salvation Army Corps Officer Ashlee Wildish. “The disaster buckets we received enhance our efforts to prepare and protect our community during hurricane season.”

In preparation for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Leon County also distributed the County’s 2021 Disaster Survival Guide at the beginning of June. Printed copies of the guide are also available County and City facilities. An online version can be found at www.LeonCountyFL.gov/DisasterBucket and www.HaveAHurricanePlan.com.

The County also educates and informs families on critical disaster prep topics with its hurricane preparedness mascot, Billy the Bucket. Follow Billy on his journey to preparedness this hurricane season on Twitter at @RealBillyBucket. Be sure to share your plan for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season with #BuildYourBucket on social media to show @RealBillyBucket how his fellow Bucketheads prepare for disasters.

For more information, please contact Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.

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Leon County is #HURRICANESTRONG

In 2018, Leon County was designated the first #HurricaneStrong community in the nation by the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. #HurricaneStrong is a national hurricane resilience initiative to save lives and homes through collaboration with leading organizations in the disaster safety movement. With this designation, Leon County became the nationwide prototype for disaster resilience. More HERE.