Austin Emergency Management is treating information like survival currency — literally operating just off SH‑71 between a meat processing facility and the Mexican Consulate — and pushing that approach into community outreach ahead of the Sept. 18 fair.
Director Jim Redick says, “Information is currency, and we want to give it out.” The department’s revamped five‑year strategic plan now includes environmental and cyber disasters and large planned events, and staff are translating the 35‑page plan into digestible outreach through local groups and nonprofits.
Ten monthly preparedness pop‑ups (one in each City Council district) lead up to the fifth annual Get Ready Central Texas Emergency Preparedness Fair on Sept. 18. Public Information Manager David Wiechmann says about 30 public‑safety, emergency‑response, and community‑service organizations will participate; the event will include giveaways of emergency kits with NOAA weather radios.
The office cites the 2023 Travis County Broadband and Digital Equity Needs Assessment showing Austin is well connected overall but that lower internet subscription rates persist in pockets aligned with low‑income households and other vulnerable populations. The department urges civilians to make a plan, build a kit, know their neighbors, and stay informed. Read more: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/its-all-about-information/
Bring your curiosity and a phone charger; information is the only thing you can pack that actually helps other people when the lights go out.