Video: Residents Honored by City for Emergency Preparedness

A group of residents from Rancho Santa Margarita were recognized during the most recent City Council meeting for their completion of the Community Emergency Preparedness Academy.

In the event of a local disaster, these neighbors may be the most important people you know before professonal emergency workers arrive.

"The purpose of the program is to provide residents with skills and information to prepare themselves for large scale emergencies such as an earthquake," said Tony Beall, the mayor of RSM.

Those who completed the training were Lisa Aced, Lori Aced, Christine Belmonte, Ben Benjamin, Brian Dayley, Debbie Forbeck, Lou Ann Frederick, Ed Gonzales, Cherie Graydon, Mark Johnson, Tanya Monroe, Ed Quon, Ross Theriault, Shelley Wilbert and Nancy Williams.

Check out the video to hear what they learned and see them being recognized by  Beall, Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Rhyner, and chief of police services Lt. Brian Schmutz.