At Bainbridge Prepares, we’ve got so much to appreciate this week, which is National Volunteer Week and, in the State of Washington, Volunteer Appreciation Week. That’s because more than 750 of you selflessly give of your time, energy, and creativity to help your community through the emergency preparedness and response efforts of Bainbridge Prepares.

On January 23, Futurist Bob Johansen (iftf.org) and community organizer Scott James (preparedneighborhoods.com) discussed “Being Future Ready in the Noisy Now” for an audience at Eagle Harbor Books. This 55-minute interactive conversation is now available for viewing on video.

FEMA Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah) in partnership with iThrive Games Foundation has just released Disaster Mind, an online educational game for teens designed to improve disaster decision-making skills.

The International Association of Emergency Managers is offering scholarships to full-time undergrad and full- and part-time graduate students pursuing degrees in emergency management, disaster management, or closely related fields.

PBS Terra is the branch of PBS Digital Studios that shows science and nature content. Their latest video on tsunamis—What's the ONE THING You Can Do To Survive a Tsunami? Cascadia Subduction Zone—focuses on the threat to our region,

The task for April is to prepare a go bag. This task involves gathering important items that you need to take with you when you have to leave quickly. But this is also a good time to prepare commuter and vehicle bags. A vehicle bag contains emergency supplies and stays in your vehicle. A commuter bag carries portable essentials and goes with you to school or to work.

Last Sunday evening, March 24, Bainbridge Prepares hosted a Child Safety and Reunification Town Hall to address the issue of child reunification in disasters on the Island.

On Monday morning, March 25, the Bainbridge Island Fire Department (BIFD) asked the Bainbridge Prepares Technical Operations Team (TechOps) for support in responding to a water rescue. A boat was in distress on South Beach Drive, and BIFD wanted TechOps to provide drone observation of the boat.

In our April session, meet (virtually) the many beautiful, friendly, and powerful insects that protect our gardens from pests. Learn to support these often unseen and unappreciated allies so they're ready to go to work when pests arrive. It’s easier and more fun than you might think. Everyone everywhere at all levels of experience is welcome.

The Bainbridge Prepares Child Safety and Reunification Town Hall happens tomorrow March 24, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Team can answer all your questions about emergency water storage and emergency sanitation. You’ll find team representatives at Bay Hay and Feed Saturday, March 23.

The March 2024 session of Veg Club—Want to grow food better, earlier, and longer?—is now available online.

Early this year, Bainbridge Prepares lost a dear friend and colleague. Marit Saltrones died on January 2 in her Seattle apartment after a long illness. She was 69.

This month, we’re focusing on sustainable water storage and conservation tips to make sure you have a safe and clean water supply when you need it most.

We all know an earthquake will eventually hit the greater Seattle area. If that happens during the school day, the Bainbridge Prepares partnership - in conjunction with local child-centric organizations - has developed an islandwide child reunification plan.

Want to grow food better, earlier, and longer?

In our March 5th Veg Club session, you’ll learn how to get weeks of more food from your garden with three succession planting strategies as well as how to protect early season plants, make heat lovers more productive, and extend your harvest season with unusually easy-to-make, easy-to-move protection.

The task for March is to create a water supply. This task involves storing an emergency water supply, protecting your existing water supply, gathering water treatment methods, and identifying backup water sources. Read more about water supplies here.

February 23 to 25, a couple dozen members of the Bainbridge Prepares Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) met up at Fire Station 21 to renew their Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification by completing a hybrid course taught through CPR Seattle and certified by NASAR (National Association of Search and Rescue).

Sunday, February 25, was the perfect day for the annual Chilly Hilly bike ride on Bainbridge: There were the usual hills and it was bone-chilling cold. Eight members of the Bainbridge Prepares Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) skipped the hills but braved the chills for 2.5-hour shifts to provide first aid to the riders.

The Youth Preparedness Council is an organization started for teens (students in grades eight through 11) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). YPC participants work with their peers around the country to build preparedness and resilience nationally and within their own communities.