Carbondale Crime Stoppers to host free preparedness event Sept. 13

KBSI FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CARBONDALE, Ill., (KBSI) — Carbondale Crime Stoppers will host a free public event, “Be Prepared, Don’t Be Scared,” on Sept. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave.

The event will open with a panel of emergency management officials, first responders and Brian Blake, executive director of the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, who will discuss disaster response, preparedness and crime prevention during emergencies.

Professor Shelly Page, an international speaker and author of Human Trafficking, 2nd Edition, will serve as guest speaker. Page has addressed global conferences on sex trafficking in Austria, England, China, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Africa and Greece.

The program will also feature a mental health panel with Dr. Clover Johnson and Amber Heern, both ACE specialists. They will discuss managing stress during and after disasters, coping strategies and crime-related mental health issues. Heern, a National Board-Certified Teacher, now works with the Partnership for Resilience to help schools address trauma and toxic stress.

Community organizations will also provide resources, including Aid for Women, Carbondale Code Red, Carbondale Crime Stoppers, the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, and the University of Illinois Extension Office.

For more information, contact Randy Mathis, assistant to the chief for community information, at 618-457-3200 ext. 402 or rmathis@carbondaleil.gov.

The Carbondale Police Department said its mission is to work with the community to preserve life, protect human rights and property, and improve quality of life through fair, sensitive and professional service.