At this month’s meeting of the Victory Heights Community Council, we focused on trying to get neighbors organized for emergency preparedness on their own streets.
Read the entire minutes of the November meeting.
Do you know your neighbors? Do you know what resources they have, or what special needs they might require in case of a disaster or emergency? We are organizing block-by-block neighborhood groups so households and families can be prepared and help one another should the situation arise.
In a severe emergency, it is unlikely a neighborhood like Victory Heights would get help from the city for up to two weeks. Do you have enough food, water, and essential medicines to last that long? We would like to help folks organize and slowly acclimate them into thinking about disaster preparedness without overwhelming them too many checklists and things to buy at the outset. But basic things like having water on hand, non-perishable food, prescriptions, and a hard-copy of emergency contact numbers, are things that can be accomplished easily, and are a good first step.
The emergency communications HUB we have in Victory Heights Park is just to exchange information and troubleshoot resources but it has NO supplies. The city, the community, and your neighbors all expect that YOU will have everything you need in order to survive for several weeks if need be. So be prepared.
If you are interested in becoming a block captain, please contact the community council and we can give you some tips and pointers to get started. You can keep things small, start with all the neighbors you can see from your house on your street. Have meetings so people can recognize their neighbors, and start working on emergency preparedness. We (and the city) have many resources to help you out (signs, pamphlets, tips). Thanks.