How prepared were you to evacuate your home during the September 2020 wildfires? How did you feed your family with no power during the February ice storms?
We are seeing an increase in emergencies that require sheltering in place, including flooding, fire, windstorms, earthquakes, chemical accidents and snow and ice storms. How might these disasters affect you? Are you ready for the next one?
Experts have told us over and over that during a disaster or catastrophic event, when first responders are overwhelmed, we need to rely on our neighbors and ourselves. Our Tualatin Neighborhood Ready program teaches personal preparation and neighborhood skills. The program is supported by the City of Tualatin and the Tualatin Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Program facilitators are CERT members, volunteers who have made a commitment to emergency preparedness for the sake of our neighbors and community. They provide updated and vital information where you can learn about local risks and understand what we can individually do to prepare for a future disaster. Planning plus preparation equals resilience.
The new Tualatin Neighborhood Ready program offers extensive steps to help you plan, prepare, and protect your family and home, and to be more resilient in case of a variety of disasters. Much of what we talk about is for earthquakes, but preparedness applies to all these risks. Topics that are being discussed include: home hazards and how to reduce them; the importance of fire extinguishers; water storage tips; how and when to shut off utilities; and suggestions for assembling emergency kits, including under-bed kits, one or two-day “Go” bags, three-day to two-week evacuation bags, and shelter-in-place supplies.
As part of the one-hour presentation you will receive a free workbook with suggested steps, checkoff lists, and a planning calendar. We present Tualatin Neighborhood Ready not as a fear tactic, not to scare anyone, but to offer information and tips to help you prepare and feel more confident in case of a disaster. This will help make Tualatin the safest and most resilient community possible.
Members of the community are also invited to take part in a Tualatin Neighborhood Ready presentation. We offer online presentations via Zoom. And with warmer weather now, we look forward to in-person neighborhood meetings in backyards, on driveways, and in cul-de-sacs.
For more information, to register for an online Zoom presentation, or to request an in-person meeting, please email: TualatinReadyMYN@gmail.com.
Online Zoom meetings will be held on June 14 or August 9. Each meeting starts at 7 p.m. Other dates and times may be added. Pre-registration is required.
Email us your name, your preferred email address, and the meeting date. Sign up and encourage others to join in.
To schedule an in-person, neighborhood meeting, please email us your name, preferred email, date requested, CIO/neighborhood name, if you know it, and your phone number, which is optional.
Be Prepared to Be Ready!
