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Date: 1/19/2023
CHESTER — The Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center is hosting a five-part preparedness series with Carlos Flores, a former Holyoke police officer and U.S. Army veteran who is passionate about helping people prepare for natural and man-made disasters. Flores teaches wilderness survival, emergency preparedness and disaster readiness. He owns and operates “The Gun Professor Inc.,” offering multi-state firearms training and certification.
Flores’ free in-person classes will run weekly, Jan. 19, Feb. 2, Feb. 23, March 16 and March 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Village Enterprise Center, 26 Main St., Chester.
On Jan. 19, the topic will be warmth and shelter. Participants will learn what’s important to have on hand in order to stay alive when sheltering in place or making shelter when away from home; how to stay safe from the elements, and how to create fire for life-giving warmth.
On Feb. 2, the class will discuss water gathering and purification. “Whether it’s for cooking or hygiene, we need water. Without it we’re in a lot of trouble, either from dehydration or bad sanitation,” writes Flores in the class description. Different methods of storing and gathering water will be discussed, as well as the myths and facts about how long water lasts and the various methods of purification. Various fire-starting methods will be discussed.
On Feb. 23, Flores will talk about food and emergency preparedness. Participants will learn what food should they can store ahead of time, and what can be made, gathered or produced for food storage. In a long power outage, most refrigerated foods will be spoiled in under 48 hours. Flores will discuss what expiration dates truly mean on various foods and their actual shelf life. Special diets will be discussed, as well as fire-making and methods of cooking.
Remaining topics in the series include first aid and medicine on March 16, and transportation and communication on March 30.
Registrations are being taken at 354-1055, Southernhilltownsace@gmail.com, or www.umass.edu/shaec. All classes are free for Hilltown residents.