As mentioned earlier this week, Cascadia Rising 2022 (CR22) exercises will take place next month, June 13-16. Read more here for details. If you’re looking, you may see (or even participate in) some of those exercises taking place here on Bainbridge Island.To refresh, Cascadia Rising 2022 is a joint effort across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to train and test a whole-community approach to disaster operations in the event of a 9.0 magnitude subduction zone earthquake and subsequent tsunami.Coordination and integration of governments at all levels – cities, counties, state and federal agencies, the military, tribal nations, non‐government organizations (Hey, that’s us!) and the private sector – will be stress tested and evaluated. As you’d expect, Bainbridge Prepares, COBI, and BIFD will be combining efforts alongside BIPD and other government, NGO and private sector organizations to conduct necessary drilling…and we could use your help!Our local CR22 live action exercises are as follows:

• Monday, June 13: COBI City Hall transforms into our Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

The EOC will be activated and staffed with City personnel, agency representatives from the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, the Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District, the Bainbridge Island School District, and Bainbridge Prepares volunteers. The EOC oversees the City’s and its partners’ responses to downed trees and power lines, post-earthquake building assessment, activation/support of Disaster Hubs, transport of essential personnel and people requiring medical attention, family reunification activities, communication with the media and community at large, and much more.

• Tuesday, June 14: Flotilla: various marshalling points along west side of island

The Emergency Flotilla will be activated to pick up 20 City, Police, and Fire personnel from five Kitsap beaches and ports, and will then sail to two Bainbridge ports (Port Madison and Manzanita Bay) where the personnel will transfer to ground transportation (provided by CERT volunteers) to their places of work. In the afternoon, the process will be reversed, to return those people to their Kitsap pick-up locations. An additional flotilla boat will retrieve cargo from the Kitsap Department of Emergency Management in Port Orchard for delivery to the City Dock at Eagle Harbor. We will also be conducting two live “person overboard” drills in conjunction with the Poulsbo chapter of Salish Sea Rescue.

• Wednesday, June 15: Disaster Hubs: Island Center Hall

We will test how our network of 14 Disaster Hubs connects our neighborhoods and island visitors to necessary information and services in the immediate aftermath of a disaster when our first responders are busy working on our community’s core infrastructure. Designed to support neighbors working together through our Map Your Neighborhood program, our Hub system provides a source of official information, resources for family reunification, limited sheltering capabilities, and advanced first aid. To make this simulation work, we are recruiting trained/credentialed Bainbridge Prepares volunteers to staff the Hub, and we invite new volunteers to play acting roles as community members seeking aid. Come and be part of the fun!

If you are new to volunteering with us, start here: https://bainbridgeprepares.org/volunteer.Or if you are already one of our 650+ credentialed volunteers, please contact Alice Ostdiek, our Hubs Team co-lead at alice@bainbridgeprepares.org, if you wish to assist in role-playing or volunteering at the Hub day on June 15.