By 10 a.m., the all-day fair had already attracted about 200 of the hospital's 2,500 employees, said Chip Riddle, director of facilities support services at the hospital.
"It's been a good turnout so far," he said.
"We just want to enhance the knowledge of our staff on safety, so we are focusing on emergency preparedness, environmental safety and patient safety."
More than 20 private vendors, hospital departments and local public safety organizations set up at the fair, selling everything from flashlights to food rations, and displaying different ways people can be prepared in case of an earthquake, mudslide or other disaster.
"A lot of people aren't prepared," said Barbara Bourland, health and safety director at the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. "That's why it's good to have events like this."
Bourland was selling first-aid kits and disaster emergency kits designed to keep one, three or five people sustained with food and water for up to three days.
"We kind of go through this denial," she said. "Sometimes it takes something like [Sept. 11, 2001] to give a wake-up call."
Employees learned about special devices that prevent people from being stuck with dirty needles, about emergency shut-off valves for gas lines and about protective equipment used in decontamination efforts.
"It was very informative," said Takuhi Hovhannesian, a biller/collector for the hospital's patient financial services department. "It saves lives to be prepared."
While disasters don't happen often, they are unexpected, and in the healthcare industry, it is especially important for hospital employees to be prepared, Riddle said.
"You can't wait until the last minute," he said. "We want our staff trained and ready for whatever may happen."
