Map Your Neighborhood: Annual Drill

REVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD MAP:

The leader will make the map available to the group.
-Review and verify house or unit numbers.
-Review and verify the locations of gas meters and propane tanks on the map.

UPDATE NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACT LIST:

NOTE: clearly identify those households that may require extra help after a disaster (elderly, disabled, children who may be alone).

REVIEW the 9 Steps to take Immediately Following Disaster:

Step #1:
First, care for our loved ones. We have done a good job preparing at home, so even though we are a bit shaken up, we are fine.

Step #2:
Protect your head, hands, and feet. We put on sturdy shoes to protect our feet from glass and debris, and a hard hat to protect our head from possible falling objects like bricks, especially once we go outside. We put on leather gloves so that should we encounter sharp or rough debris, our hands are protected.

Step #3:
We go outside and inspect the gas meter. If we can smell the gas or hear it hissing and escaping from a broken pipe, immediately shut it off.

Step #4:
We then shut off our house water at the main house valve located somewhere in the house (not the valve in the cement box). This allows us to trap the water that is in the water heater and to keep it safe from pollutants that may enter through cracked pipes.

Step #5:
Post the OK / Help card from the back of this Handout on the front door or window. Neighbors will know to come and help if we have Help displayed, or if we have no card up. Perhaps we have been injured and are unable to tape it up.

Step #6:
Place our fire extinguisher outside on the sidewalk or the street edge. Make sure these are easily seen. If someone should yell “Fire, we’ve got fire” or if we should see smoke, we will be grateful to have a whole street full of extinguishers. If extinguishers are left on porches, neighbors will not take time to look for them.
We will grab the extinguishers we can see and get over to that fire while it is small enough to safely extinguish it.

NOTE: Steps 1-6 are completed at our individual homes.

Step #7:
It is now time in our disaster response to come together as a neighborhood. The first thing we will do is gather at our Neighborhood Gathering Site so that we know who is available to help. Sure this takes time. But if these few moments are not spent organizing our neighborhood response, we only have chaos in the neighborhood. We need to know who is available to help.
Q: We will meet at: ______?
A: Review this location.

Step #8:
By coming to our Gathering Site, we will be able to assign groups of neighbors to do four (4) critical tasks.
NOTE: We will always go in teams of at least two neighbors. This is for our safety and protection.
One team will stay at the Neighborhood Gathering Site and listen for emergency information on either an AM/FM radio or a NOAA Weather Radio.
-One team will go and check on all those we have identified who need to be checked on immediately.
-One team will check all natural gas meters and propane tanks, using the information from our Neighborhood Map. If they can smell gas or hear it escaping from broken pipes, they will shut it off.
-One team will go door-to-door checking for all Help cards and homes with no cards. They will coordinate giving the help and assistance that is needed. (They should take a first aid kit with them).

Step #9:
When each team has completed its assignment, it will report back to the Neighborhood Gathering Site and give a report of what they have done. As information is shared, the entire neighborhood will know what has happened and what the response has been. If additional help is required, plans can be devised to respond to those needs.

DRILL!

The leader will facilitate an exercise with all attendees, simulating post-disaster conditions.

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