As part of the campaign for National Preparedness Month, people across the country are being urged to become involved in their communities and prepare for emergencies and disaster through service.
On Vashon, several organizations affiliated with VashonBePrepared, serve such a purpose and welcome new volunteers. At Vashon Island Fire & Rescue, Interim Assistant Chief of Operations Bob Larsen recalled lessons from the Cascadia Rising exercise in June, which included more than 150 volunteers, but he stressed the need for more. The volunteers accomplished most every necessary task during the drill, he said, but the numbers were sufficient for just one shift each day, not around the clock, as would be needed in a true emergency or disaster.
“When they needed to go home and take a break, business stopped. During a disaster, large or small, as dramatic as Cascadia Rising or a good old wind and snowstorm, we may need those resources to be more than one shift deep,” Larsen said, adding he is thankful for all the people who do volunteer. “Across the board, it’s a great group. It would be even greater if there were more of them.”
Auxiliary Communications Services (ACS)
Predominantly via ham radio, members provide communication for the other preparedness groups and do so when there are no other available communication options: landlines, the internet or cell service.
Michael Meyer, who heads ACS, said the group offers ham radio classes once a year and can point people to ham radio clubs in Seattle and Tacoma that run quarterly classes so that islanders can readily obtain a ham radio license.
The group meets the third Saturday of the month and recently started secondary monthly meetings, aimed at helping people without much experience ramp up on the basics and be useful in an emergency.
“Like with anything, we have to practice the fundamentals to be effective in a disaster,” he said.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Through training, CERT volunteers learn how to keep their homes safe in all kinds of emergency circumstances and learn the skills necessary, from light fire suppression to first aid, to be part of a team that responds to island emergencies, including search and rescue situations.
More than 350 islanders have gone through the course since it started more than a decade ago. A free, 46-hour class is slated to begin in February, and for the first time the portion of it focused on personal and household preparedness will be open to the public. The full class will require a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 25 participants for those who want to go on and join the CERT team. But the preparedness portion open has nearly unlimited capacity.
“I wish I could fill the theater,” said CERT leader Jan Milligan.
Emergency Operations Center Team (EOC)
In an emergency, members of the EOC team organize and synthesize information so the incident commander can make the best decisions possible in the midst of chaos, according to Rick Wallace, who heads the group. The team also supports field operations, arranging for the arrival of needed supplies, from food to generators, and is in charge of disseminating public information to keep islanders safe and informed. Additionally, he said, there is a particular need for volunteers interested in sheltering and feeding people.
The EOC meets monthly and welcomes new volunteers at any time.
Wallace added that typically people who get involved with the EOC team like being part of the big spectrum, problem solving and “being in the know.” Volunteers should be fast learners, he added, able to think well under stress and follow methodical procedures to solve a problem “one bite at a time.”
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
The Medical Reserve Corps is a loosely organized group of islanders with medical skills who can come to the fire department and help their neighbors in the time of need, be it emergency or disaster.
There is no regular time commitment, said Jason Everett, who is Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s liaison to the group. Instead, what is important is the willingness to help when needed and for the department to know how to reach the group’s members quickly. A disaster, such as an earthquake, would be obvious, but emergencies, such as a plane or bus crash would not be — and the department might need additional assistance before off-island reinforcements arrive.
Island doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and mental health professionals are all needed and encouraged to participate.
Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations (NEROs)
NEROs are groups of neighbors, ranging from five to 15 homes, who organize to help each other when the need arises, whether it be in a minor storm or after a major earthquake.
NERO Coordinator Vicky de Monterey Richoux said Vashon has more than 200 NEROs currently, but they make up just a fraction of the island’s population. Richoux, like others involved in the Cascadia Rising exercise, noted that the drill confirmed for her that the island could be isolated for weeks, and the best way to enhance comfort and safety during that time is by being prepared at home and neighborhood by neighborhood.
Setting up a NERO is simple, she said; she comes to a gathering of neighbors and provides a 10- to 30- minute presentation as well as additional guidance. Groups need to meet only once a year after that, she said. Having two captains is advisable, she added, but little more is required except that the people in the NERO know each other by face and be prepared to check on their neighbors when an emergency or disaster happens. In such a situation, some members would also be expected to survey the neighborhood for injuries, fires or other damage, with the captain reporting the information to the fire department, helping responders prioritize their efforts.
Richoux encourages participation, “We rely on neighbors more than we may have realized,” she said.
