NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's National Preparedness Month, and this year the deaf and blind community in Tennessee are getting specialized Go-Kits to help them be prepared in any situation.
"Disasters can happen to anyone, but when you have a disability sometimes the chaos needs a little more preparation," Kevin Wright, Assisstant Commissioner of the Department of Human Services — division of rehabilitation services — said.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Human Services to give out the kits. Each kit has a weather radio, a pillow shaker, a flasher strobe light, a family First Aid Kit and a braille card with all the items in the kit for those who can't see.
There are 300 being given out across the state at 10 different TDHS Vocational Rehabilitation locations.
"As we face multiple threats in Tennessee, whether it be tornado, wildfire, making sure everybody is safe, everybody has a plan, everyone has multiple ways to get information is a huge deal to us to keep people safe as well as their families," Alex Pellom, Chief of Staff at Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, said.
If you want to learn more or find out where to get a Go-Kit, visit the website.
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
-Lelan Statom
