After this winter’s ice storm, my community decided to meet to form a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). This a team of community members trained by FEMA to respond to emergencies until state and federal teams arrive. After reviewing the procedures and demands required to become certified, we decided to forgo the acronym and design our own team with our own strengths and needs in mind.
Decisions like this give me hope for the future. We are so used to giving up our power for the mantle of protection offered by some governmental agency or other. Fearful people can behave like children, looking for the direction and aproval of an adult before making a move. The problem with behaving like a child is that one is then invariably treated like a child. I know of too many cases of hearing those infamous words, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”, and all of the sudden someone is telling you where to go and when to go there. There is some help I would rather do without.
Our little commitee designed a short survey so we will know who lives where and is likely to need help in a crisis. We will know who is elderly or alone or disabled. We have a couple of people in town who rely on grid powered equipment for medical reasons and we have put a plan in place to deliver generators to those folks. We also set up a community shelter plan along with a plan to check on people who might need transportation. We made a water plan and a food and cooking plan, a sanitation plan and a communication plan. No one who doesn’t want to participate would be required to. You’d be surprised how quickly this plan was put together when we didn’t have imposed standards and rule to abide by.
The past decade has brought many folks to the realization that the government may not always have our best interests at heart. It may not always know what’s best for any one group of people and it certainly does not have all the answers. Heck-it doesn’t even have the right questions. Every time you have the chance to look out for yourself and the people you love, grab it. Every time you can learn something, grow something, rise to a challenge, face a fear, do-it-yourself or take a stand, it behooves you to see it as a gift and an opportunity. Read some history. Remember our roots.
March 17, 2009 at 2:02 pm
“After reviewing the procedures and demands required to become certified, we decided to forgo the acronym and design our own team with our own strengths and needs in mind.”
Excellent! As nice as the concept of a CERT is, in the end, it is still a government program with all the “baggage” that goes along with it. Taking the concept and adapting it to your own local needs is a great idea.
March 17, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Great post. I will link it on my blog for my readers (few that there are
)
March 18, 2009 at 9:41 am
Found your enlightening and insipiring ideas via Sharon Astyk. Thanks!
My community was recently impacted by the TVA coal-ash spill (Harriman/Kingston, TN) and I noticed a minimal emergency response locally. Of course, I must say the number of local properties severely and directly effected was not that great…unless you lived in a home that was smothered by ash, and they were few. Actual community response, save for churches, etc, hasn’t been reported as anything significant. Federal response has seemed grudging and heavily propagandized.
I recently approached our local police chief about his efforts to establish Neighborhood Watch programs. Not much came of that. I’m of the opinion that, when it comes to disaster mitigation, local and neighborhood efforts are going to be far more effective than governmental programs.
The neighborhood survey is a wonderful idea! At the least, it will introduce neighbor to neighbor. Identifying needs and vulnerabilities in one’s immediate surroundings can’t help but enforce a community spirit…something that’s sadly lacking in many areas.
This is the tack I’m going to follow here. I can survey 50 households within easy walking distance, and I’m curious as to what’s going on in their lives that the near folks might be of aid in.
S M Stirling has written a great novel about what happens when a community has to pull together in the face of an emergency. Lots of threads and possibilities here, but very thought-provoking and entertaining. It’s called “Dies the Fire”. Available from http://www.betterworldbooks.com a non-profit that does great work.
In many instances, the future appears grim. It may be, but we all can help one another.
Peace,
Bill
March 18, 2009 at 10:40 am
I have always wanted to read that book. You have inspired me. I will oreder it today. Good luck with the survey. I wish I were not so convinced we were going to be looking out for ourselves but it does seem so. Isn’t Sharon’s site great? It is one of my favorites.
March 19, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Kathy, I really appreciated this post. Even though I know we will have to adjust any survey to our own circumstances, I would like to request a copy of your group’s survey to get us jump-started. We are creating a phone book of our neighbors, and have already created our own version of a Neighborhood Watch(NW)(we say “Knowing Our Neighbors Is Our Best Security” and we have included food security as part of our NW goals.)Thank you in advance. Blessings, Sara
March 19, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I would be happy to. I have to rewrite it today so I can get it to the printer but I will email you as soon as can with the survey as an attachment.
March 21, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I am finishing up the survey today. The weather has been wonderful and I have gotten behind on paperwork. I will do my nest post on what we came up with (3/23)
March 22, 2009 at 3:36 pm
My husband is training to be a volunteer firefighter. Getting involved with your community’s emergency response is a great idea to be prepared. The other benefit is that you really gain a respect and appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that makes it all possible. You can then pass along this information to the uninformed members of the community. For example, someone needs to spend time charging the batteries and keeping the air tanks full on the breathing apparatus that the volunteer firemen use, because of course, they need to be ready all the time. That’s just one small thing among hundreds of tasks that need to be done for emergency preparedness. Tell others at voting time, that new piece of equipment asked for by your fire department or road crew will not appear out of thin air in an emergency or crisis situation.
Keep up the good work!
May 20, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Solid website! will definitely come back again soon!!