Is your neighborhood prepared for an emergency? Knowing your neighbors and neighborhood resources is important to effectively respond to an emergency. Hi Neighbor provides residents with useful information on the steps neighbors can take together to become more resilient.
The key to a successful emergency preparedness plan at the neighborhood level is to first prepare your family for any emergency and organize your neighbors by creating a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) who can effectively respond during a time of crisis. By clicking on the link below, you can create your family’s emergency response plan and share your plan with your neighbors.
After an earthquake or other disaster, first responders could be overburdened and might not be able to get to your neighborhood immediately. You and your neighbors may need to take initial actions to respond to the needs within your neighborhood and help one another until resources and first responders become available, possibly for the first 72 hours or longer. Training is available through the Fire Department to help you learn response skills and how to organize a team. Take the initiative and form your Hi Neighbor CERT Neighborhood Team today.
As part of the Community Emergency Response Team planning process, teams should conduct an inventory of the skills and resources available at home and in the neighborhood.
Identify people who have skills in the following areas: medical, electrical, child care, leadership, firefighting and/or survival skills.
Inventory available resources by identifying neighbors who own small tools and equipment such as, shovels or crowbars; have amateur radio licenses; four-wheel drive vehicles; motorcycles; generators and water purifiers.
Identify neighbors who are willing and able to be a runner/bicyclist to deliver messages if telephone lines are down
Creating a disaster preparedness kit will help you survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at minimum of three days. Consider special food & medical supplies for children, the elderly or pets. Local officials, first responders and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sanitation and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer. Click on the link below for a list of supplies that you should keep on hand in case of an emergency.
In addition to water, food and other supplies that everyone needs to stock, members of the CERT Neighborhood team should store tools and other items in an easily accessible location. Create a list of what resources you and your neighbors agree to share in an emergency. Below is a brief list of items that will be useful during an emergency:
Many neighborhoods have individuals with special needs. Make a plan with your neighbors to check-in on them after a disaster and help them if necessary. Help them in advance of a disaster to set aside special supplies they may require after an earthquake or other emergency assist them with an emergency plan. Some of the people who may require special assistance include:
Those who are deaf or hearing impaired, blind, have limited mobility, require a special oxygen supply or have significant medical conditions.
Children who spend time alone at home and the elderly.
Become part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or Get involved with Anaheim Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)
The City of Anaheim offers specialized instruction on emergency preparedness that is available to all Anaheim residents. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during hands-on practice, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. If you are interested in becoming a CERT volunteer, please click here to sign up or email cert@anaheim.net.
Anaheim RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services) mission is to operate and maintain Amateur, Public Safety, and other communications systems, and to perform unique, accurate, and efficient communication services to assist government officials in the protection of life and property. RACES personnel are citizen volunteers of the City of Anaheim who donate their time, personal equipment, training and capabilities for public service. The group's operations are guided by an internal organizational structure comprised of RACES members under the auspices of the Anaheim Fire Department Emergency Management Division. If you are interested in becoming a RACES volunteer, please complete and submit an application or email RACES@anaheim.net.
For more information about Emergency Preparedness resources and volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood, contact the RACES Volunteer Program at (714) 765-6955 or races@anaheim.net.
Create your Family Emergency Response Plan
Create a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Your Neighborhood
Create an Emergency Kit
Learn which neighbors may need your help
Get More Training
