Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association

Shoreline: National Emergency Preparedness

September was National Emergency Preparedness Month and the City of Shoreline is redoubling its efforts to keep the community safe and ready in case of disaster.  Earthquakes, floods, winter weather and wind storms are just a few of the natural hazards facing our area, but careful planning can minimize loss of life, property and money.  In order to help raise awareness and make planning easier the Emergency Management department has come up with a number of strategies for the community. 

 The first level of preparation is individual, taking place in your own home.
 In an effort to assist your household the City has partnered with a number of local stores to highlight items that will be useful when a disaster strikes.  Keep an eye out at Central Market, Bartell Drugs and Ace Hardware for the Ready Shoreline logo which signifies an important item for your emergency planning. 

The next level of readiness comes at the neighborhood. 
The unfortunate truth of major disasters is that the standard emergency responders will be overwhelmed and unable to assist you.  However, a community that plans in advance can look out for itself and even save lives.  The City of Shoreline is offering free training manuals and DVDs of the Map Your Neighborhood preparedness program to help make sure that your community can remain safe even when 911 is overrun. 

Contact Chris White in the Emergency Management Department at 801-2256 or cwhite@shorelinewa.gov if you are interested in taking the first step towards making your neighborhood safer.

An often overlooked facet of emergency planning involves small to medium-sized businesses.  Statistics show that after a disaster nearly 25% of businesses in this size-range do not reopen.  Careful planning ahead of time can help make sure that your business and livelihood isn’t lost. 

Get This Free Simple, Step-by-Step Guide on Emergency Preparedness
On the business front, Shoreline is promoting a Ready Business initiative that provides a template for your planning.  A simple, step-by-step guide, along with personal support, can be received by contacting Robert Waisburd in the Emergency Management Department either by e-mail at rwaisburd@shorelinwa.gov or phone at 801-2266.  Both the Map Your Neighborhood and Ready Business programs and materials are provided at no charge, making preparedness that much easier. 

While disasters may seem unlikely and uncommon, they do exist and can cause tremendous damage.  Taking a small part of your time today can make the difference between catastrophe and speed bump, so please be sure to utilize the resources listed above to make sure Shoreline remains a safe, vibrant place to live.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 5:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.