It has been proven that neighborhoods and communities that prepare together, are more likely to recover and survive a disaster than those that don’t. In celebration of Earthquake Preparedness Month, we will highlight the Lindberg Park neighborhood that is doing just that.
Four years ago residents of Lindberg Park Neighborhood Watch decided to develop a community-based disaster program. After forming a Disaster Committee, they identified a Needs List. First was disaster supplies.
The committee determined that they would need $1,000 to buy disaster and medical supplies. Next they figured how to raise the money and where to store the supplies. They decided to fundraise by hosting seven garage sales, netting a whopping $ 2,500.
They also found a solution to storing all the supplies.
Step 2, they divided their neighborhood into blocks, 25 block captains, 25 alternate block captains responsible for walking their blocks after a disaster to determine where help or first-aid is needed.
Step 3, they established a mode of communication using walkie-talkie radios. Every year during the city’s A Disaster Drill, they practice their communications.
Step 4, they established activation instructions, a one-page plan that outlines what everyone should do after an earthquake and is kept by everyone’s bed along with their walkie-talkies and extra batteries.
Step 5, they established a network of medical professionals who live in Lindberg Park. They created a disaster entertainment team that will provide support during a disaster like babysitting, staying with the injured and talking to them, running errands.
Every year, Lindberg Park strives to practice and fine-tune their disaster plan. Last week at their monthly meeting in honor of Earthquake Preparedness Month, they provided disaster training by setting up three stations.
There was a CPR compression-only station taught by the Fire Dept., a disaster plan/disaster supply station taught by Dr. Ira Diamond and this writer, the city’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, and a first-aid station taught by residents Tim Martinez and school nurse Kathleen Lally-Arena.
Attendees were divided into three groups and assigned a station. Every 12 minutes, they would call time, and the groups would rotate to the next station.
Lindberg Park’s disaster plan was developed based upon assumptions that should a regional disaster occur, there could be a significant delay in help getting to them. They realized that they would rather be part of the solution than the problem. They have created a community of resilience.
Next week, we will highlighting another Culver City community that has created a neighborhood disaster plan.
For more information or questions about how you can help your community/neighborhood be prepared, contact me at christine.parra@culvercity.org.
