By Margarita Moreno, Disaster Risk Reduction Manager
As summer continues in Tulare County, families are looking forward to longer days, backyard gatherings, trips to local lakes and pools, and more time spent outdoors. For many parents, however, summer also brings new responsibilities — keeping children safe around water, preparing for extreme heat, and knowing what to do when emergencies happen unexpectedly.
In June, seventeen local families gathered at Parenting Network, Inc. for a Family Preparedness Workshop designed to help them build the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to protect the people they love.
For families raising children with disabilities and other access and functional needs, emergency preparedness often requires additional planning. Parents and caregivers may need to consider communication needs, sensory sensitivities, mobility challenges, medications, medical equipment, or routines that provide comfort and stability during stressful situations. Recognizing these realities, Parenting Network created an inclusive, sensory-friendly environment where families could explore preparedness strategies tailored to their unique circumstances.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in hands-on learning experiences led by the American Red Cross. Topics included emergency planning for individuals with access and functional needs, home fire prevention and escape planning, water safety through Longfellow’s WHALE Tales program, and Hands-Only CPR.
But beyond learning life-saving information, families gained something equally important: peace of mind.
For Geovanna Kirchner, who is raising a toddler with autism alongside a teenager living with severe anxiety and depression, the workshop offered practical knowledge she believes will make a meaningful difference at home.
“As a mom, as a parent, the best part is giving everything you can for your kids. Knowing these things today are going to help me make sure my kids are safe,” Kirchner said. “I learned that little things can matter a lot. I didn’t know some of the fire safety information, and I didn’t understand why life jackets are important even if someone knows how to swim. I really appreciate the volunteers who took the time to teach us and everyone who helped provide these safety supplies.”
Each participating family also received an emergency preparedness “Go Bag” filled with essential supplies they could immediately put to use, including a first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, emergency blanket, cooling towel, whistle, waterproof document pouch, and resources for developing a family emergency and fire escape plan.
These tools support conversations that can save lives. Home fires continue to claim more lives each year than all natural disasters combined, and families may have as little as two minutes to safely escape after a smoke alarm sounds.
At the same time, drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and a significant safety concern for children and adults with autism, who face a substantially higher risk of drowning than the general population.
The workshop was made possible through the American Red Cross Community Adaptation Program (CAP), a national initiative operating in only 19 disaster-prone counties across the United States, including Tulare County. Through partnerships with trusted local organizations, CAP works to strengthen community resilience before disasters occur by expanding preparedness education, building local capacity and reducing disaster-related hardship.
For Parenting Network, the event represented much more than emergency preparedness. It reflected a mission rooted in community, family support and advocacy.
Founded in 1987 by five mothers raising children with special needs, Parenting Network began as a grassroots effort to ensure families had the resources and support they needed to succeed. Nearly four decades later, that commitment continues to guide the organization’s work throughout Tulare County.
At the conclusion of the workshop, families gathered in front of a vibrant mural honoring the organization’s founders. The artwork depicts the original five mothers surrounded by images representing the diversity, strength, and resilience of the community they helped create.
Standing before the mural, Parenting Network Executive Director Paul Prado reflected on both the organization’s history and its vision for the future.
“This mural has the original five moms who started Parenting Network. It represents our community, our diversity, and the pride we take in our families and where we live,” Prado said. “This year is just the beginning. We want to continue this legacy by listening to families, hearing their concerns, and helping make solutions possible. Emergencies happen, and unfortunately sometimes it’s too late when they do. We wanted to think ahead, be proactive and create an opportunity for families to learn more and know where to start before a crisis occurs.”
The workshop’s impact also resonated deeply with American Red Cross Executive Director, Lori Wilson, who spoke at the event and connected personally with many of the families in the room. “As a parent of a young adult with Down syndrome, I carry a deep awareness of the added concerns that come with preparing for emergencies,” Wilson said. “Families like ours often think about risks that others may never have to consider. We know, for instance, that children with special needs are disproportionately affected by home fires and water-related accidents — realities that make opportunities like this workshop especially meaningful to me.”
“What stayed with me most was the overwhelming gratitude and appreciation from the families who attended. In my 12 years with the Red Cross, this stands out as one of the most impactful workshops I’ve been part of. These were families I could truly relate to — and on this day, I know we made a difference.”
Wilson’s reflections reinforced a central theme of the day: when preparedness education is designed with inclusivity, accessibility and lived experience in mind, families gain more than information — they gain confidence, support and a stronger sense of community.
The impact of the workshop extended well beyond a single day of learning. Families were able to sign up for free smoke alarm installation services and future CPR certification opportunities through the partnership between Parenting Network and the American Red Cross. Working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half, making them one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect a household.
Perhaps most importantly, the workshop created opportunities for connection. Parents shared experiences, exchanged ideas, asked questions and learned alongside others navigating similar challenges. Those conversations helped strengthen a sense of community and reinforced a simple truth: preparedness is most effective when families do not have to face emergencies alone.
Parenting Network and the American Red Cross are working together to ensure more families have the knowledge, tools and confidence they need before an emergency occurs — because preparedness is more than a plan for disaster. It’s an investment in safer families, stronger communities and a more resilient future for all.
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