Bainbridge Prepares

The Map Your Neighborhood Program is the system Bainbridge Island uses to prepare our local communities for disaster. The 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 to 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 and take the necessary actions.

Ready to get started?

The following steps will get you on your way to neighborhood preparedness:

• Review the MYN Meeting Guide (link opens a PDF). A quick review will increase your comfort level with the idea of organizing your neighbors. The guide explains each step of the program. You can download the MYN packet here. Additional helpful documents can be found here.
• 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.
• Or, view the Washington Emergency Management Program’s videos on hosting your Map Your Neighborhood event.
• Contact Ann Cook or Emergency Coordinator Anne LeSage 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 less than 20 homes.
• Host your MYN meeting. The MYN meeting is designed to bring together neighbors to discuss plans for taking care of themselves during a disaster when emergency responders may not be able to help them.  During this time, neighbors can share information about resources they can utilize together to care for their neighborhood. Encourage the other nearby homes/streets to conduct their own MYN meeting after you’ve had success with your immediate neighbors. A neighborhood’s resources can be shared with other neighborhoods to help in the recovery effort.