Community News, Ideas, & Comments
Sustainability · 12th November 2010
Sherry Wellborn
Erik and Ann Muller recently hosted the first Map Your Neighborhood workshop in our Amazon Neighborhood. Oregon is one of the states involved in citizen preparedness in the event of a disaster of sufficient size to overwhelm local fire, police, medical, and utility responders. This means earthquakes, large storms, and flooding for our area.
The Map Your Neighborhood program includes instructions on how to organize those roughly within shouting distance of each other, or about 30 urban households.
We began our workshop with a half-dozen or so neighbors all living along or very close to 25th Ave between Emerald and University Streets. We learned how a disaster is different than an emergency, and began the process of recording what skills our group possesses, who we are, and who might require special help.
We went through the nine steps we would follow in the event of a disaster, designated a gathering site and a care center. Then we divided ourselves into various teams to cover immediate needs in the event of disaster and discussed the minimal equipment we should all have available.
Our next step will be to contact those within our self-designated response area to tell them about our organization effort, invite their participation, and practice what we would actually do in a disaster.
We feel this program is an excellent and realistic way to care for and be responsible for each other in the short-term should a real disaster occur. We'll follow up this article on our progress and advertise our drill date. We invite you to contact us for information on how to organize your immediate neighbors. Our hope is that our entire neighborhood organizes into shouting distance groups, so everyone is covered.
This is the time to prepare, before a disaster strikes. And what a good excuse to get to know who you're living next to.
For more information, click on the web link below or call Joe Rizzi (Eugene Emergency Management) 541-682-5664. If you live in the Amazon Neighborhood, email me and Erik Muller or I will get you materials.
The Map Your Neighborhood program includes instructions on how to organize those roughly within shouting distance of each other, or about 30 urban households.
We began our workshop with a half-dozen or so neighbors all living along or very close to 25th Ave between Emerald and University Streets. We learned how a disaster is different than an emergency, and began the process of recording what skills our group possesses, who we are, and who might require special help.
We went through the nine steps we would follow in the event of a disaster, designated a gathering site and a care center. Then we divided ourselves into various teams to cover immediate needs in the event of disaster and discussed the minimal equipment we should all have available.
Our next step will be to contact those within our self-designated response area to tell them about our organization effort, invite their participation, and practice what we would actually do in a disaster.
We feel this program is an excellent and realistic way to care for and be responsible for each other in the short-term should a real disaster occur. We'll follow up this article on our progress and advertise our drill date. We invite you to contact us for information on how to organize your immediate neighbors. Our hope is that our entire neighborhood organizes into shouting distance groups, so everyone is covered.
This is the time to prepare, before a disaster strikes. And what a good excuse to get to know who you're living next to.
For more information, click on the web link below or call Joe Rizzi (Eugene Emergency Management) 541-682-5664. If you live in the Amazon Neighborhood, email me and Erik Muller or I will get you materials.
Our Shouting Distance MYN Group
MYN Pamphlet Leading Through 9 Step Disaster Response