[KHTS] – Santa Clarita’s 5th annual Home and Garden Show and Emergency Expo, hosted by KHTS, began at 9 a.m Saturday at the Valencia Hyatt Convention Center.

The first day of the event was introduced at 10 a.m. by KHTS co-owner Carl Goldman, who was preceeded by the color guard from Valencia High School and a group of children who sang the national anthem.

Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste was in attendance and gave a speech about public safety and emergency preparedness in the community.

“Santa Clarita has had 11 publicly declared emergencies in the last 26 years, Weste said.  “Some of these were in the form of fires, we had floods and then we had the devastating Northridge 1994 earthquake. There are a lot of life saving tactics and tools for your family, friends and even your pets here today. We should all be able to help ourselves, our families and our friends next door because sometimes the first responder is going to be your neighbor.”

Over 250 businesses and organisations were present at the event to share information about what they have to offer and ways to prepare for potential emergencies in Santa Clarita. Vendors from various enterprises including Green Convergence, Paul Davis Emergency Services, Brent’s Carpet One, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Green Thumb International, Doctor Thomas Polucki, Peak Performance Chiropractic and Snow Orthodontics were among the many booths set up to provide information for attendees.

As a part of the Emergency Expo, a blood drive was conducted inside the Hyatt by the American Red Cross and several CPR classes were held on site throughout the day.

Deyka Scimenes, a Basic Life Support Instructor and independent contractor for Superior Life Support, said the CPR classes are an important way to keep everyone safe in the community.

“It is important to recognize when someone is in trouble so no one panics and they can keep the situation in control,” Scimenes said. “Everybody should know what to do in an emergency.”

The Emergency Expo also showcased several important tools that the LA County Fire department uses to protect the community including a fire engine, a search and rescue vehicle, and a hazardous materials truck.

Captain Danny Martin, Hazardous Materials Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, was working overtime Saturday to help share information about the hazardous materials squad located here in Santa Clarita.

“We are one of four [vehicles] for the Los Angeles County and we are stationed up on Golden Valley road,” Martin said. “We handle all the hazardous material spills and responses for the County. The truck responds [to emergencies] with 1 engine, so we have 9 people to handle any spills. We also engage in counter-terrorism operations as a  part of homeland security.”

The Home and Garden Show continues Sunday with many of the same vendors in attendance. The Emergency Expo will be replaced with the Arts and Crafts Fair, the first of its kind at the Home and Garden Show. The event is expected to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Valencia Hyatt.