VashonBePrepared: It’s time to start the conversation about preparedness

It’s National Preparedness Month. The theme this year: Start the conversation.

Talking about bad things that could happen, like a disaster or emergency, can be a challenge. We may think we’re protecting the people we care about by avoiding these conversations but doing this work together helps a lot. Share fears and feelings. Think together about what’s important. Plan action steps to tackle the priorities. All these things come easier in a group conversation: family, work, school, neighborhood.

Preparedness Discussion Guide

You can start the conversation by asking your group questions so everyone can share their reactions to the topics.

• What hazards do we face here on Vashon and the west side of the Cascades?

• When an emergency strikes, how will we stay connected with family?

• How will we get accurate information on what’s happening and how to stay safe?

• Where will we and our pets go if we must evacuate?

• Could we shelter in place?

• What food, water, and other supplies will we need to care for everyone in the group, from youngest to oldest?

• What will we do to keep food at a safe temperature?

• How will we power medical devices?

• What can we do to keep important documents safe? Do we have digital copies and backups?

If You Do Nothing Else, Do These Three Things

1. Make a communications plan: ready.gov/plan-form.

2. Build a kit: ready.gov/kit.

3. Sign up for alerts: tinyurl.com/VashonEmergencyAlerts.

NERO: Start a Neighborhood Conversation

Get the preparedness conversation going in your neighborhood. Talk with a few neighbors about meeting up to help each other get more prepared. That’s the concept behind Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations (NEROs). It’s all about the VashonBePrepared motto: Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

What’s a NERO?

It’s an informal group of about five to 15 households who collaborate in advance to help each other during adverse conditions. The goal: help each other stay safe and comfortable after a winter storm, power outage, earthquake or other emergency. Meeting at least once a year, NERO groups may share skills and resources to help everyone shelter in the neighborhood if necessary. Vashon Island already has about 270 NERO groups organized.

Why Form a NERO?

Some of us may have only electric heat. We may have very young children or elders at home or need help getting vital medicines. Others may be able to remove a downed tree across the road, transport someone to get medical care or share a meal. By checking on neighbors’ well-being, NERO participants can also speed up reporting injuries, property damage, and problems with roads and utilities so that our professional emergency responders can act more efficiently — and more quickly — to save lives and preserve property. (Of course, anyone who needs urgent help should call 9-1-1 themselves, without waiting for their NERO leaders.)

How Do We Get Started?

Email NERO Coordinator Vicky de Monterey Richoux, at NERO@VashonBePrepared.org. She can connect you with an existing NERO in your neighborhood or help you start one up. Your group can schedule a brief presentation with many tips on how to band together to be more prepared. Talk with a few neighbors about meeting up to help each other in a time of need.

Make a Game Out of It

Disaster Master. Build a Kit. Disaster Mind. Ready2Help Cards. These games have been created to help get the preparedness conversation going with the younger folks in your household, neighborhood, or school.

Thinking about disasters may cause increased anxiety in children and teens. Both adults and children find that taking positive actions toward emergency preparedness can help them feel empowered and reduce their anxiety. FEMA offers a collection of games for kids (and players of all ages) that will educate and inspire gamers to action. Go here to start playing: ready.gov/kids/games.

Your (Blood) Type Needed

Registration has opened for the next Vashon Island community blood drive by Bloodworks NW. It’ll be on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, just south of town at 18623 Vashon Highway SW. Donation appointments are already one-third full, so don’t delay. Find out donor eligibility requirements at tinyurl.com/BloodworksEligibility.