Over 25 neighbors gathered to play at the Cedar Hills Ready! Disaster Scenario Game. This interactive experience helped prepare neighbors for various disaster scenarios that could occur in the Pacific Northwest. Participants collaborated with neighbors in solving common problems that could be faced during a disaster. By simulating a disaster scenario, players developed knowledge and skills to better respond to a real-life emergency. Many mentioned how the collaborative approach helped them recognize the importance of connecting with neighbors to create a plan before a disaster occurs. 

It's Earthquake Preparedness webpage states, "Because of our community's generous support of the 2014 and 2020 Bonds, the district has built several new schools and seismically upgraded others." These bonds provided the District a unique opportunity to not only address daily operational needs, but also respond to the findings of The Oregon Resilience Plan by constructing disaster resilient schools that are also capable of supporting their surrounding communities as emergency shelters. ​

You never know when a disaster or an emergency might strike. In that crisis moment, your preparedness and training—with your family and neighbors—might save your life and home.
Bill and I have been teaching disaster and neighborhood readiness for five years as a way to build connected, caring, and resilient neighborhoods. All our training was put to the test on January 4th, 2023, when a power surge ignited an electrical fire in our basement, threatening our lives and property.
We survived and saved our home because of our training and the support of our neighbors. I’m writing this blog to pass along lessons we learned, including what skills and preparation counted the most during this emergency. My hope is that you might learn from our experience and take steps to get prepared, to protect yourself and family, today. This could happen to you. Be ready for it!

​​Every moment counts in a medical emergency. Make sure first responders have critical information about your kids, even if you aren't there. Take advantage of a free, confidential service, sponsored by OHSU. 
HERO Kids Registry is a voluntary, no-cost system that lets any Oregon family share critical information about their child’s health before an emergency. The information can be quickly accessed by emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital emergency department (ED) providers, so they have the information they need when they need it. 
​By registering with HERO Kids, you give EMS and ED providers a head start on understanding your child's medical history, unique needs and individualized supports. For example, it helps emergency responders to know if a young patient is non-verbal.
HERO Kids is for any Oregon child or young adult (through age 26). It is especially useful for young people with complicated or chronic health conditions, and for those who experience developmental disabilities or mental health conditions. Learn more and register your kids at the OHSU Hero Kids Registry. 

Are you wondering about some creative gift ideas that could keep your loved ones safe? The Holiday Edition of the quarterly newsletter from the Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs' December Newsletter has some amazing holiday gifting ideas. Check it out! 

Oregon Field Guide spent a year-and-a-half probing the state of Oregon's preparedness, and found that when it comes to bridges, schools, hospitals, building codes, and energy infrastructure, Oregon lags far behind many quake prone regions of the country. Check out this informative 1-hour video. (Aired September 30, 2015.)

FEMA News Release
​Oct 27th, 2022, FEMA News Desk (425) 487-4610
Purchase Flood Insurance to Protect What You’ve Built
BOTHELL, Wash. – If you do not carry National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance, now is the time to buy it. Wildfire season is slowing down, and once the fires are out, people and communities are at risk for another threat, flooding.  Wildfires leave the ground charred and unable to absorb water. This creates a flash flooding potential for years to come, even in areas that rarely experienced flooding in the past. Sometimes these flash floods can pick up ash and large debris, turning into mudflows that are highly destructive.
Unlike many causes of damage, flooding and mudflows are generally not covered by a homeowners’ policy. An uninsured flood loss can eat into your life’s savings. Floods are the most common and expensive natural disaster in the U.S.  Just an inch of water in an average-sized home can cause $25,000 in damage. A NFIP policy protects against such losses and can ensure that a flood doesn’t bring financial ruin.
Flood insurance is easy to get, the only requirement is that you live in an NFIP participating community. These include cities, counties and other jurisdictions that manage development. You don’t need to live in a floodplain to purchase a policy. If you live outside a floodplain, insurance will likely cost less than for those living in a higher risk area.
Buyers should be aware of the 30-day waiting period for an NFIP policy to go into effect. It is important to purchase a policy now to protect your property against the continuing threat of flooding. You can usually purchase flood insurance from your current agent. If that isn’t possible, NFIP representatives can help you find one.
As with any insurance, be sure to talk with your agent about the specifics of your policy. Find out more about your risk and flood insurance at www.floodsmart.gov. To purchase flood insurance or find an agent, call 1-800-427-4661.
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Did you practice your drop-cover-hold skills during the International Shake Out Earthquake Drill? My family did and as usual, we had fun and learned lessons.
In our practice, we follow the drill suggestions on the Oregon Shake Out website. When the drill started, we dropped to the floor, found the nearest place to cover ourselves (in our case, under our kitchen table), and then held on for a few minutes, as if waiting out a major shake. (You can practice this drill at any time.) While we waited, we looked around and imaged how an earthquake might create damage and hazards: what could drop off counters and shelves and off the walls. Making notes of these observations will help us better secure our house for a future earthquake.
After a few minutes (in a real earthquake, after the shaking stops), we practice our neighborhood ready drill, which includes going through the 9 steps to take after the disaster for an earthquake. I keep the list of the 9 steps in my under-bed-kit and also on the refrigerator to make it easy to find. 
Preparing with neighbors makes you more resilient and increases everyone's chances of survival. Once you have taken care of your family, secured your house, its time to make sure that your neighbors are ok and secure the neighborhood. They will do the same for you, assuming your have met with them ahead of time in a Neighborhood Ready! meeting. (Hint, hint!) After an earthquake, you assemble at a predetermined place, form teams to check to make sure everybody is OK, check everybody's gas meters, and shut the gas meters off, if there is evidence of a leak.
​Here's what we learned during our 2022 drill: 
Lessons learned during our home check: 

• We had fun getting on our gear, going through our checklist, and checking on neighbors (as a pair). Many people were not home, but of the few we made contact with, they were appreciative. :) 
• We discovered one of our under-bed kits was not easily accessible, and one had some items that were falling apart and needed replacement. I didn't realize my gloves were coming apart; I discovered that by putting them on. 

• We spend a lot of time in our family room, and we don't have a lot of emergency supplies in there. Our family room is a wall of windows, and I don't always keep shoes in there! Time to add a box of critical safety gear in the family room. 
• One of us had trouble getting under the table due to knee trouble. Some vulnerable seniors may have the same issue. If you are in this group, it's a good idea to practice alternative safety steps, like using a pillow to protect your head during the earthquake, especially if its hard to get on hands and knees to get under a table. 
• We had moved our fire extinguisher, and couldn't find it right away! Need to have a consistent place for the fire extinguisher. 
• My HAM radio got into a mode that I couldn't figure out right away. I had to troubleshoot the problem. I need more practice! 

Lessons learned during neighborhood checks: 

• Lots of people weren't home when we did our home checks. We remembered that we should be checking their gas meter, anyway. Whatever team goes out to check on the gas needs to carry an all-in-one tool. 
• We need to have a backup to our neighborhood safe meeting place. For the second year in a row, the person who hosts our neighborhood meeting place was out of town during Shake Out. That could happen in a real earthquake, so we need to have a better backup. 

What lessons did you learn? Share in the comments below. :) 

On Saturday, Oct 8th, at the Beaverton Library, Cedar Hills Ready! and QuakeUp! volunteers participated in the Beaverton Emergency Preparedness Fair hosted by Sexton Mountain, Highland, and West Beaverton Neighborhood Association Committees (NACs). We helped over 600 neighbors with information and tips on how to get prepared. Our volunteers set up five booths covering the following topics: water resiliency, go bags, home utilities in an emergency, organizing preparedness supplies in apartments and small spaces, and preparing community caches in a barrel. We thank our volunteers, Beaverton NACs volunteers, and the City of Beaverton who made this event a success! 
If you missed the fair, you can find information on the topics we covered on this website. ​