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Neighbors Unite
When
seconds count...
There is no higher priority than your safety!
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STEPS FOR FORMING A NEIGHBORHOOD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN
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Decide on your proposed geographic coverage (Approx. 30 families) Set a meeting
date and complete the pertinent meeting information on the
introduction/invitation letter provided. Consider planning a block potluck or
barbeque after the meeting to get to know your neighbors better.
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Deliver invitations (in person) and questionnaires (provided) to a maximum of
30 of your closest neighbors. Request telephone numbers for your neighborhood
disaster call list. If possible, provide a courtesy call one to two days before
the meeting as a reminder. Prepare to have area and state maps, pens, paper and
blank questionnaires available at your meeting.
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Conducting Your "Neighbors Unite" Meeting:
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Review disasters specific to your area and what to do in each type of disaster
- both natural and man-made. Refer to your Quick Reference Guide found in your
Banana Pack Disaster Sack and www.ready.gov.
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Review area map and determine two evacuation routes out of your area and state.
Note: Fallout shelters have become obsolete; encourage neighbors to seek out
potential evacuation shelters within close proximity of your neighborhood.
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Designate a primary and alternate home to be your headquarters. Homes should be
structurally sound and if possible - with a basement (nuclear disaster and/or
tornado) and a second or third story (chemical disasters.)
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Elect a neighborhood captain (someone who is home full-time), and a coordinator
for each ten families, including you.
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Identify and assess the skills of neighborhood members by simply reviewing
completed questionnaires. Divide into skills teams and discuss team tasks &
preparation (refer to step 5).
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Develop an inventory list using the completed questionnaires. Determine what
supplies are still needed for your evacuation headquarters by visiting
www.bananapack.com and clicking on "Neighbors Unite." Simply divide the minimal
cost of the supplies and tools still needed among the families in your group
(average for 30 families: $37.00 per family - dependent on neighborhood
supplies on hand and number of family members in each household.)
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Photocopy completed questionnaires. Provide one copy for each coordinator and
the neighborhood captain.
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You might want to fill out a temporary form for those not responding. Although
you will not have permission to enter their property; you will at least know
how many are living in the house. In case of a severe disaster, this
information is critical in aiding search and rescue efforts.
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 Determine
which neighbors may have "special needs" in an emergency and inform their
coordinator. Advise neighbors on prescription medication, insulin, inhalers,
etc. to stock up on these items. If there are school-age children, you'll want
to know where they'll be evacuated to should a major disaster occur during
school hours and who will care for them.
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Encourage neighbors to attend the free C.E.R.T (Community Emergency Response
Team) training through your local fire department. Schedule convenient on-site
first aid and CPR classes. Obtain your free Disaster Preparedness Guide by
visiting www.ready.gov. Keep up interest in your area by circulating updated
materials at reasonable intervals. Update your questionnaires at least once
every year and schedule semi-annual or annual follow-up meetings.
We would like to congratulate you for doing your part to make our neighborhoods
and communities safer. Your time and commitment to your neighborhood disaster
plan is critical in preventing unnecessary catastrophic losses and aiding first
responders. Please help others protect the fruits-of-their-labor by sharing
your success story with family, friends, neighboring blocks and your homeowners
association. The nurses at Banana Pack Disaster Sack wholeheartedly commend and
support your efforts. Feel free to call us with your questions about "Neighbors
Unite," safety products or on-site training (800) 313-PACK.
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