It’s September and we’re in the thick of fire season here in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California. We spend today's show talking about emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, and preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, which are another common occurrence this time of year. We focus on the disability community here in the foothills, but this conversation is relevant to people and communities nationwide. We discuss how our community can stay prepared and stay safe before, during, and after emergencies.

We’re joined by three guests with first-hand knowledge of emergency planning. Brian Snyder should be a familiar voice to many listeners of Disability Rap as he was our Disability Community Advocate here at FREED and often co-hosted Disability Rap with Ana Acton. He is now FREED’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and runs our program supporting people with disabilities and older adults to prepare for evacuations and PSPS events.

Yinnon Hiller is the Emergency Preparedness Specialist at FREED and he supports Brian by providing equipment and resources to people with disabilities throughout FREED's catchment area and beyond. When he is not working for FREED, Yinnon works closely with the Left Coalition, providing mutual aid here in Nevada County.

And we're joined by Brian Terhorst, the current KVMR Board President and the former General Manager of KVMR. He is also the host and producer of Harmony Ridge, which airs on KVMR alternate Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m.. Brian lives with a rare neuromuscular disease called Late Onset Pompe Disease that requires him to use a power wheelchair and non-invasive ventilator. Brian is a FREED consumer and is one of many community members with disabilities we support through PSPS events.