Community Preparedness

These past few weeks I've been working with the Community Development department and the Clerk department on a meeting about the community preparedness pilot program. In preparation, I've been working on a best practices document on community preparedness, and finding community members willing to meet with us and discuss their resources as emergency liaisons. Using resources within the community is very useful because of their close proximity and unique understanding of the town. Therefore I have been talking with representatives from the Marana Unified School District, the Marana Health Center, religious organizations, the Marana Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Fire Department, and KOLD news to name a few. Some helpful resources would be as follows:

• Existing networks for passing information (businesses, media, stakeholders, etc.)
• Facilities  available for mass care in the event of evacuation
• Spiritual comfort and guidance
• Access to medical resources
• Knowledge/access to equipment, tools, etc.
• Emergency training background
• Specialized expertise (agriculture, animal care/rescue, electricity, water, etc.)
• Financial assistance and charities
• Knowledge of concerns unique to your field

During my research on best practices for community preparedness, I have found a ton of useful information. There are many good ideas and programs out there that can be emulated for the Town of Marana. For families interested in getting their kids involved, the Department of Homeland Security has an excellent site for children. Interested in getting older kids and adults interested in preparation? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a very interesting article about how to survive a zombie apocalypse...cuz if you're prepared for a zombie apocalypse, you're prepared for any emergency.

I look forward to the brainstorming session next week with the community liaisons. I'm excited to hear what ideas get brought up. In the meantime, I've been sending survey forms out to the San Lucas community, since San Lucas is the intended target for the pilot program. If our community preparedness plan is a success, we will then be able to expand the program to the rest of the community. The surveys ask questions that will be useful in the event of any kind of emergency:

1. Do you or anyone in your household have a medical condition or physical disability that requires assistance?
2. Do you have access to a working vehicle?
3. Are you able to drive in an emergency?
4. How many adults, children, and pets are in the household?

 Answers to these questions will help us understand who lives in the San Lucas community, and who will be needing attention, and what kind. By knowing how many people will need assistance, or do not have access to a working vehicle, or how many animals are in the neighborhood, we can better serve the community when the time comes.