For Brownsville resident Ralia Karavasilis, one of the biggest takeaways from the City of Brownsville’s One City Information and All-Hazards Preparedness Fair was learning about the City’s 546-HELP ho

For Brownsville resident Ralia Karavasilis, one of the biggest takeaways from the City of Brownsville’s One City Information and All-Hazards Preparedness Fair was learning about the City’s 546-HELP hotline.“I didn’t know about the 546-HELP hotline that the city has,” Karavasilis said while attending the event for the first time at the Brownsville Event Center.The non-emergency hotline connects residents directly with city departments to help answer questions, address concerns, and provide access to city services — one of many resources highlighted during the community event focused on safety, preparedness, and public awareness.The City of Brownsville brought together multiple city departments, first responders, and community organizations in one location to provide residents with information about local services and emergency preparedness resources available throughout the community.Families explored interactive booths, observed live safety demonstrations, and viewed emergency response vehicles used by police, fire, and other public safety teams. Organizers said the fair was designed to create an educational and welcoming atmosphere where residents could learn practical ways to prepare for emergencies while enjoying family-friendly activities.For Brownsville resident Liliana Chavez, the event provided valuable information about services and programs available in the community.“This is great. It creates awareness of many things, for example, recycling. And information about the parks and information safety awareness. There’s so much great information to get,” Chavez said.City officials encouraged attendees to ask questions, connect with local service teams, and learn more about the resources available to support the community before, during, and after emergencies.For Marisela Almeida, who has attended the event three times, the fair continues to showcase the importance of community outreach and public awareness.“This is such an important event because we, the community, sometimes take the city for granted. We don’t know what goes out there, or what the community does for us. This gives us a more in-depth description of how they work, how they help us individuals, and how we can make progress and better ourselves in our lives,” Almeida said.The event highlighted the City of Brownsville’s continued commitment to public safety, community awareness, and strengthening partnerships between residents and the agencies that serve them every day.