Free water barrels go fast

DOWNEY - The city of Downey hosted another emergency water barrel distribution event on Nov. 20 that ended when the supply of 925 barrels was exhausted.The event was staffed by members of the Emergency Preparedness Committee, Downey Community Emergency Response Team, community volunteers and the Warren High School Red Cross Club. The distribution of the barrels began at 8 a.m. and continued throughout the morning. The barrels were donated by the Downey Coca-Cola bottling facility. Volunteers distributed 300 more barrels than they had at any other event. Despite the rain storm, the spirits of the volunteers and their operations were not affected. The community demand for the barrels was not dampened by the weather. A few hundred people were in line for the barrels when the event started at 8 a.m. However, by 10 a.m., the volunteers had caught up with the initial demand. From 10 a.m. until the end of the event, the wait time for a barrel was mostly eliminated. The storage of an ample supply of fresh water is one of the most important actions residents can take as they prepare for an emergency. Fresh water is almost always in short supply after disasters. Experts recommend each person store a minimum of 3-7 gallons of water for emergency use. Additional water should be stored for pets. Each barrel is cleaned and rinsed by Coca-Cola staff members before delivery to the distribution site by five Coca-Cola tractor-trailer rigs. The barrels varied in size from 15-55 gallons. A special instructional label was attached to each barrel. Special barrel cap handles, pumps and siphon hoses were sold at the event. The program costs are off-set by the sale of these tools for use with the barrels. For those who find their barrel needs a cap, they may find them at www.nitro-pak,com or www.bayteccontainers.com/bungcapcourse.html. Planning efforts have begun for a January 2011 distribution event. Once a date is finalized, the information will be sent to The Downey Patriot and posted on the city website next week. Questions or comments may be sent to ready@downeyca.org.

********** Published: December 2, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 33