The City of Santa Clarita, in partnership with AM-1220 KHTS and Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, will host the 2012 Emergency Expo on Saturday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Valencia Regency hotel.

Held in conjunction with the KHTS Home and Garden Show, the Emergency Expo is free to attend and will include demonstrations and information to educate families about disaster preparedness.

“The City of Santa Clarita believes preparedness is one of the most critical components in recovering quickly from a disaster or an emergency,” Mayor Laurie Ender said. “The Emergency Expo is designed to educate community members on how to prepare for unexpected disasters by creating family evacuation plans and emergency kits.”

This year, the City will host its Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) booth, offering preparedness demonstrations and lessons covering basic survival skills important to know when emergency services are not immediately available.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Smokey Bear, pet a Search and Rescue horse, and stock-up on first aid and other preparedness supplies. Emergency vehicles such as fire engines, police cars, and KHTS’ 1948 Mack Fire Truck will be on display in the parking lot.

Family-friendly activities are also on the agenda for the 2012 Emergency Expo, including crafts provided by Home Depot, as well as face painting with the Girl Scouts, and free fingerprinting provided by the Santa Clarita Valley Optimist Club.

For residents with pets, the Los Angeles County veterinarians will be on hand to discuss pet safety, health, and emergency preparedness supplies.

Early access to the Expo is available for individuals and families with special needs.  The access hour is in collaboration with the Community and Law Enforcement Aware Response (C.L.E.A.R.) project to promote informal relationships between first responder and the special needs community. A special needs registry will be available at the CLEAR booth to assist individuals who are at-risk during emergency situations due to limited communication, age, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive disabilities, as well as other disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

To check out a full list of events or to  learn more information about the Emergency Expo, visit SCVEmergencyExpo.com or call 661-250-3708.