Neighborhood
Once you’ve prepared your home and family for emergencies, your next step is neighborhood preparedness.
Download this brief PDF for island residents to learn more about our Map Your Neighborhood program, how to receive text-based Nixle alerts, and the Top 10 Essentials you’ll want to have on hand to help your loved ones and direct neighbors. You’ll also read about our Disaster Hub network, K-12 school preparedness plans, and training opportunities we offer throughout the year.
On Bainbridge Island, we use the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) Program to organize our many neighborhoods. If you are ready to get started fast, email Team Lead Ann Cook now.
The Map Your Neighborhood Program will help you do the following:
Learn the Nine Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster to secure your home and to protect your neighborhood. It’s hard to think clearly following a disaster, and using these steps will help you quickly and safely take actions that can minimize damage and protect lives.
Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and skills helps your disaster response be timely and allows everyone to contribute to the response in a meaningful way.
Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and propane tanks for quick response if needed.
Create a Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such as elderly, disabled, children, and pets who may be home alone during certain hours of the day.
Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood during the first hour following a disaster, take necessary actions, and then report your status to your closest Disaster Hub.
Ready to get started? Either get going with the following instructions or email Ann Cook to schedule a party!
The following steps will get you on your way to neighborhood preparedness:
Review the MYN Meeting Guide. A quick review will increase your comfort level with organizing your neighbors. The guide explains each step of the program. Additional helpful documents can be found here (COBI) and here (WA state).
Alternatively, you can visit the Bainbridge Public Library to check out the MYN training DVD. It’s a short 20-minute video on how to conduct your own MYN party.
Contact MYN Team Lead Ann Cook to request copies of the MYN booklets, flyers, and other materials needed for your neighborhood gathering. If you live in a larger neighborhood, consider limiting the meeting to fewer than 20 homes.
Host your initial MYN meeting. Neighbors can share information about resources they can use to care for their neighborhood and discuss any additional emergency supplies that may be needed. Although most of the discussion will center on taking care of each other after a major earthquake, be sure to discuss your wildfire evacuation zone as denoted in the map to the left and your closest Disaster Hub.
Schedule an annual MYN meeting to update your neighborhood information. You’ll be surprised how much things can change in a year.
Encourage the other nearby streets to conduct their own MYN meeting after you’ve had success with your immediate neighbors. One MYN group can share resources and information with nearby MYN groups to help in the recovery effort.