Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue - plfr.org
Disaster Preparedness
In light of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, I wanted to devote this month’s safety tip to PREPARATION. Disasters are major events that can strike anywhere and at any time. In a disaster, traditional 9-1-1 and First Responder capabilities such as fire, police, medics, and utility personnel will be overwhelmed and unable to immediately assist individuals.
Preparing your neighborhood is vital. Neighbors will likely be the first ones to offer you assistance. Neighbors that are prepared are more effective in their response to a disaster and have an increased capacity to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours after a disaster. We are fortunate in the communities of Port Ludlow to have active neighborhood groups that are organized and willing to help. The Port Ludlow Village Council’s Disaster Preparedness is one of those groups and you can find out more about them on the PLVC website (www.plvc.org).
Take action today. Begin by thinking about who you consider your neighbors to be. We suggest 15-20 households because the first hour of a disaster response is vital and you want the size of your neighborhood to be manageable. Get Emergency Prepared (getemergencyprepared.com) and Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) provides excellent guidance on what to do next, as do many local programs.
Just spending a couple of hours with neighbors can help your whole neighborhood be prepared to handle an event that could overwhelm all of you as individuals. The program is similar to having a neighborhood watch meeting in which you commit to helping each other if needed. Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue is here to help. You can find links to both of the programs mentioned earlier by going to our website (www.plfr.org) or you can contact Lt. Tim Manly (tim.manly@plfr.org) if you need additional information on disaster preparedness.
