Sometimes you see folks dressed in protective clothing, working at the scene of a chemical spill, doing all they can to make sure folks are safe as can be.

York County Emergency Management Agency’s April 26 open house, at 149 Jordan Springs Road in Alfred, will feature a number of demonstrations – including from the haz-mat team. Above, a team member, during a 2024 class, passes through a decontamination station. Those attending the open house will be able to see and explore the trucks and command van, watch a drone demonstration, check out the radios, photo booth, and learn a bit about what it takes to be prepared in an emergency. The open house is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contributed / York County Government

When a child has wandered away from their yard, there is often a drone overhead, guided by a team on the ground, aiding in the search.

When disaster strikes, like a massive ice storm, or coastal flooding, you see men and women doing all they can to make sure people are safe – setting action plans for cleanup in place, staffing shelters, coordinating utility restoration, and more.

Who are they, and how do they do it?

They are the York County Emergency Management Agency – employees and volunteers – and you can find out more about them at an open house, complete with live demonstrations and more, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday April 26, at York County Emergency Management Agency, 149 Jordan Spring Road in Alfred.

“We’re really excited about this event,” said Megan Arsenault, the agency’s deputy director. “We serve the public, and we’re eager to have people come through the door, learn, and have a little fun.”

People can learn how to operate the radios in the emergency vehicles, explore the emergency trucks and the big command van, learn about sheltering for people and their pets, and more. There will be children’s activities, face painting, giveaways, raffles, free food, and a photo booth.

There will be demonstrations of the haz-mat team at work, the drone team at work, and some of agency’s other specialty teams as well.

Arsenault said many county residents are not directly aware of what emergency management involves – and the list is long. It includes circumstances like floods, snow emergencies, other sorts of winter storms, tropical storms, coastal devastation, power outages, wildfires, law enforcement-related matters, missing people, and other situations.

There will be information available for steps folks can take to be more prepared when disasters occur, like how to sign up for emergency alerts, what to put into a disaster kit – basics to stay safe, she said.

“We want to have people build a relationship with us,” said Arsenault. “We want people to get to know us, and how we work to keep people safe before, during and after emergencies, and to learn about how to be prepared.”

Tammy Wells is media specialist for York County Government.