In just two days, at our annual Day of Preparedness, you can learn everything you need to in order to ready your household for emergencies. This year, DOP will be held at the Woodward Middle School covered play area. The event happens September 21, from 12 to 4 p.m. As always., it’s free.

Our annual Day of Preparedness (DOP) event happens Saturday, September 21, from 12 to 4 p.m. This year the event will be held in the Woodward Middle School covered play area. As always, the event is free.

The task for September is to stash your under-the-bed supplies. Under-the-bed supplies are those items you can reach for when you’ve been awakened by a crisis, such as an earthquake.

Grow tree fruit in your yard, whether large or small. Learn how in Darren Murphy’s incredible fruit garden. The head of Bainbridge Island Fruit Club, Darren grows many dozens of fruits, including berries, grapes, and multi-grafted tree-fruits, in his small suburban garden on Bainbridge Island.

Remember when we introduced our board in an article back in February? Well, since then we’ve expanded the board further, adding six more people.

The annual Arms Around Bainbridge island-circumnavigation fundraising swim happened Saturday, August 10, clockwise. Four Bainbridge Prepares teams provided support for the event: the Medical Reserve Corps, the Bainbridge Emergency Auxiliary Radio Service (BEARS), the Flotilla, and BIGWEELS.

The Bainbridge Metro Park District’s free movie at Battle Point Park on Friday, August 16, is Twister. Although we don’t get too many tornados here in western Washington, the event naturally lends itself to discussion of natural disasters and emergency preparedness, and Bainbridge Prepares will be handing out preparedness information and answering questions before the movie starts.

Tomorrow night, August 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. join your fellow citizens at the annual National Night Out celebration and information fair.

The task for August is to get utility safe. Utility safety largely consists of familiarizing yourself with the turnoff valves for gas, water, and electricity and making sure your gas systems and electrical systems are safe.

Learning and practicing self-defense gives Bainbridge Prepares volunteers the skills needed to assess and protect themselves in unsafe situations. On Saturday, July 27, 22 volunteers gathered at the Transmitter Building at Battle Point Park for a self-defense class led by former Army Ranger David Jones, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and self-defense instructor.

New to Veg Club this year is a special session on climate change and the ways it will challenge and change our gardens and orchards. How can we prepare them to thrive? Learn what’s expected for our area, including future crop prediction tools, local resources, and methods to help your garden and orchard adapt to our new conditions.

Because of climate change and human expansion into wilderness, fire season is now an annual event. That means that at least once a year, you need to take measures to keep your home safe, be prepared to evacuate (read more here), and protect your family’s air quality.

The National Weather Service is predicting high, unsafe temperatures in our region with moderate risk of heat-related impacts for later in the week and major risk for Saturday.

Puget Sound Energy’s Wildfire Mitigation and Response Program is designed to help our region stay safe during wildfire events. During wildfire season, which can run from now into October, certain conditions—such as high winds, extra dry vegetation, and low humidity—can increase the risk of fire from power lines.

The task for July is to get fire safe. When talking about fire, we are referring to fire prevention, preparation, and swift and appropriate response.

It’s not too big of a stretch to think about winter in Juneuary, but in July . . . ? But now is exactly the right time to start thinking about your fall and winter crops.

Scores of curious Islanders visited the Disaster Hubs Demo at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 15, despite the Juneuary 13-degrees-in-one-hour temperature drop and hail storm. Visitors were greeted by friendly Bainbridge Prepares volunteers who provided a map of the hub’s layout while seated before two white boards that, during a disaster, would be updated with the latest information from the City.

You’ve heard about the 14 disaster hubs located around the island—the centers where you will go for information and medical care after a large-scale disaster. But what will they be like? What specifically will they offer you?

The Northwest is a great place to grow food, especially if you know what to do about our region’s pests and diseases. Arm yourself to recognize and thwart them at the June 4 Veg Club session.

The task for June is to get 3 weeks ready. In the event of a large-scale emergency, Bainbridge Islanders are likely to be isolated for at least three weeks. The bridge might be down and the ferry might be out of service.