This is Part 2 of a four-part series this month in honor of National Preparedness Month. While this may not seem to be the sexiest of topics, you need look no further than the wreckage left by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma to understand the life and death issues faced by you, your family, and your business.
Week 2 focuses on making a plan to help your neighbors and community. I am very fortunate to live next to incredible neighbors. We have access to each others house to help in an emergency and are really “on call” when needed. Neighborhoods look different for everybody. so let’s talk about three things you and your neighbors can do to help each other and your community.
Step 1 is to have a neighborhood meeting (adding food always helps) to find out information like: who has a generator; are there medical professionals in the group; are there any vulnerable or special need people; where are the best places to stage people; and routes of ingress and egress. It doesn’t have to be overly formal, yet these are important things to know in a crisis.
Step 2 is to create a communication link. Make sure there are secondary and tertiary plans in case connectivity and power are compromised. If there is one person that is willing to do the work of gathering contact information, that would be a huge benefit for everyone.
Step 3 is keeping current. The group should meet at least once a year – September is good – to update information and fill in any new neighbors. In the case of a disaster, we will need to count on each other becasue nobody else may come for awhile.
I just saw a tremendous presentation on a program meant to train people to be first responders and help each other. It’s called Until Help Arrives and information can be located here – Learn more.
Finally, your community is also your neighbor. As safety allows, be ready to help your larger area with skill, expertise, and often just muscle.
Next week, we focus on practicing and building out your plans. Being “safe out there” is incumbent on planning ahead.
P.S. Follow me on Facebook. This month, I will be doing a Facebook Live segment on how to pack a “go bag” in case you must evacuate your home and one that you should keep at work in case you get stuck and can’t make it home for days. I’m also posting daily tips on Twitter.
Quote of the Week:
”Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
~ Thomas Edison
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Do you need help creating an emergency crisis plan for your business or family? Call me and let’s schedule a meeting to talk. The time to act is before you need it. Email me
