The City of Menlo Park Council approved MPC Ready’s application for a community grant to strengthen neighborhood preparedness following a major disaster when evacuation might not be possible or desirable. We are using the $4K grant to establish a pilot program to help Block Coordinators to establish a Neighborhood Gathering Place that can become a Neighborhood “Command Post” following a disaster. We invite Block Coordinators to apply for one of the Duffle Bags with Supplies. Please see the application!
Rolling Duffle Bag & Supplies — More Information
OVERVIEW. Thanks to a $4K grant from the City of Menlo Park, and the hard work of Board Members and volunteers, MPC Ready is piloting a program to help Block Coordinators be equipped to quickly set up a Neighborhood Gathering Place/Command Post following a major disaster. The general idea is somewhat modeled on the work of the Burlingame Neighborhood Network Cache program. However, MPC Ready Board Members (supported by some volunteers) spent considerable time researching and considering what to include in the initial duffle bag. The bag is deliberately big enough so that a Block Coordinator can later add more supplies.
The Duffle Bag and Supplies are aimed at situations where evacuation is not possible or desirable, such as following a major earthquake. The rolling duffle bags will contain initial supplies to help the Block Coordinator quickly set up the Post and help neighbors get organized to provide mutual aid and support during a time when outside help might not arrive for 72-hours or longer. APPLICATION FORM
Quick Start Guide
QUICK START GUIDE. Following a disaster, a Block Coordinator’s first priority is his/her/their safety and that of their family and/or household. Once all are okay and/or stabilized, a Block Coordinator’s primary role is to provide the overall coordination for the neighborhood’s disaster response.
Ideally, the Block Coordinator has practiced setting up the Neighborhood Gathering Place/Command Post before the disaster. However, most of the tasks are simple and volunteers without training can be assimilated into the operations. We give thanks to the Burlingame Neighborhood Network for the basic design of the Guide, and some of the content. We also give thanks to the City of Palo Alto Radio Volunteers for much of the radio-related content we included in the Guide.
Neighborhood Command Post Forms
- Neighbors/Volunteers Check in Form — for use by Block Coordinator or a designated volunteer
- Windshield Survey – for use by Utility & Safety Teams
- Neighbor Wellness Check Form — for door-to-door safety & wellness checks
- Communication Coordinator Form — to keep track of people
- Communications Log — to keep track of messages coming into or out of the neighborhood
- First Aid Record Sheet — for the First Aid Teams providing first aid support within their comfort level
- Fire or Police Station Report — for runners to deliver based on Block Coordinator request