Venice Emergency Preparedness Neighborhood Plan

In the wake of many significant natural disasters and terrorist acts across the globe in the past several years, it is imperative that people take a proactive approach to preparing for such unfortunate events. Simple preparations now, that may take all in all a few hours, can save lives, and enable you to secure and sustain yourself, your family and your pets in the event of a catastrophic emergency. We live by the ocean in a major earthquake zone, and encourage everyone to start by downloading, but most importantly taking the time to fill out this emergency action plan for your home and Venice neighborhood.

Based on the very successful “Map Your Neighborhood” program developed in Washington State, this simple document takes you through identifying needed items in the event of an emergency, and mapping if your home, or whom in your neighborhood might have critical items that are helpful in the event of an emergency.

The first two pages start with very simple full page sized “OK” and “HELP” signs to print out NOW and have in an easy to locate space for the windows of your home and vehicle. These simple signs let emergency crews know if they need to stop and provide assistance at a time when every second counts in saving a life, or if you are “OK” so they can look for people in dire need of assistance.

This document will help you to:

• Learn the “9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster” to secure your home and to protect your neighborhood. It is hard to think clearly following disaster and these steps will help you to quickly and safely take actions that can minimize damage and protect lives.

• Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and skills helps your disaster response be timely, and allows everyone to contribute to the response in a meaningful way.

• Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and propane tanks for quick response if needed.

• Create a Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such as elderly, disabled, or children who may be home alone during certain hours of the day.

• Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood during the first hour following a disaster and take the necessary actions.