The Will County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will organize its third annual “When Seconds Matter: Public Preparedness Workshop” on March 28, 2026, at Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood. The event is open to the public and aims to help residents prepare for a variety of emergencies and disasters.
Exhibits will begin at 8:30 a.m., with presentations starting at 9:00 a.m. Registration is required in advance through the EMA website.
“When seconds matter, being informed and prepared can make all the difference,” said Will County EMA Director Allison Anderson. “This workshop empowers individuals and families with practical knowledge they can use immediately to protect themselves and support their communities during emergencies and disasters.”
The workshop will feature presentations by experts on topics such as severe weather preparedness, nuclear readiness, and community awareness strategies to prevent targeted violence. The content is intended for attendees aged 12 and older.
In addition to presentations, local and regional partners will provide exhibits and resources focused on building community resilience throughout Will County.
“These workshops have been very effective at connecting residents with subject-matter experts on public safety and preparedness,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “Prepared communities are stronger, safer communities.”
Residents interested in attending must register due to limited space.
Will County schools have an average student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1 based on data from the 2022-23 school year, serving over 102,000 students across the county’s educational institutions (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism in Will County schools was recorded at 38.6% during that period, which is higher than the Illinois state average of 35.6% (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Among local high schools, Lockport Township High School East had the highest enrollment of white students with 2,626; Bolingbrook High School had the largest number of multiracial students at 154; Joliet Central High School led in Hispanic student enrollment with 2,358; while Crete-Monee High School reported the highest number of Black students enrolled at 931 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).
Registration details for the workshop are available at www.willcountyema.org/workshop.
