SANDPOINT — As September is National Preparedness Month, organizers of the Bonner County Citizens Preparedness Expo are preparing to host the second year of the event this weekend.

"We are focusing on people being prepared for whatever catastrophic event that may occur," said event chair Penny Cosner.

Catastrophic events in the area could include wildfires, flooding, earthquakes and more. The expo will focus on awareness and preparedness for such events.

Workshops will be held throughout the day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday at the Bonner County Fairground. Portable preparedness, or "go bags," will be one area of focus during the expo. "Go bags" typically include first aid, clothes, medication, important papers — any items someone might need in an emergency.

Dave Ramsey from Bonner County EMS will teach wilderness first aid, a representative from Panhandle Health District will discuss water storage and purification. Other organizations will be on hand to teach about ham radio and emergency communications, neighborhood watch, shelter in place, wood/solar energy and more. There will also be food vendors available and a question-and-answer "roundtable" toward the end of the day.

The expo is sponsored by Bonner County Emergency Management, Raindrop Northwest Massage Therapy, Bob Pitt's and Son's Well Drilling, Sand Creek Custom Wear and Litehouse Foods.

One participant had to drop out when they were dispatched to help out with aid in Texas after Hurricane Harvey, Cosner said. If any more speakers are dispatched as hurricanes and fires persist, expo organizers have backup speakers lined up to cover the time slots, she said.

Cosner said last year the expo was held in October, but moved the event to September to coincide with National Preparedness Month. Cosner said she hopes no one else will need to drop out before Saturday, and the expo will go back to being held in October next year to try and avoid losing speakers to emergencies across the country. Between 300 and 400 people came through the doors last year.

"We are hoping for more this year," Cosner said.  

The event is free and doors open at 8 a.m. at the Bonner County Fairgrounds. For information, contact Cosner at 208-946-3692.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.