Emergency Preparedness for Neighborhoods

CHARLOTTESVILLE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROJECT
For Communities and Neighborhoods

• Meet with your neighbors to plan how the neighborhood could plan for a disaster. If you’re a member of a neighborhood organization, introduce disaster preparedness as a new activity.

• Know your neighbors’ special skills, such as medicine or technology. These skills could be essential in the face of a hurricane or other emergency.

• Also be aware of neighbors with special needs, such as the elderly or the disabled. Consider how you could help these neighbors in an evacuation or other emergency.

• Offering a CPR class in the neighborhood, or supplying information for classes in the community, is a great idea. The more people who can learn this information, the better.
  
• Be aware of the type of hazards that could affect your neighborhood specifically. Know your area's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.
  
• Locate the safest areas in your area for different emergency situations. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
  
• Determine the best escape routes from your neighborhood in case of flooding or other emergency situations
  
• Create an emergency telephone number contact list and make sure neighborhood children know how and when to call 911.