People never think of natural disasters striking their town, but those that have been affected by tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes know well that nowhere is out of harm’s way.

As a community, all we can do is be prepared in case disaster ever does strike. So, it’s good to see the people at Chilton Medical Center hosting an informational meeting in an effort to find local residents that would be willing to volunteer their efforts in the case of an emergency.

“It’s a national push,” said Angela Batchelor, clinical care coordinator for Chilton Medical Center. “This is one of the lessons we learned from Hurricane Katrina. The community has to step up and assist medical facilities until the county can get people in and federal assistance arrives.”

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 16 in the CMC cafeteria.

Retired nurses or public safety officials are in demand, of course, but anyone willing to help could likely find a way to do so.

When a disaster strikes, victims need all the help they can get.