Readiness News - NEIGHBORS READY!

Which Beaverton schools are safe during an earthquake?

3/11/2023

In the mid-1990s the Beaverton School District (BSD) conducted a district-wide investigation of the seismic stability of its schools and subsequently began a targeted program to seismically upgrade and improve them.

Click to go to BSD's Emergency Preparedness Webpage

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.

What to do when the next megaquake happens

3/10/2023

Most of us have been taught that in an earthquake, we should drop, cover, and hold on. Chris Goldfinger, Professor of Marine Geology and Oregon State University (OSU), challenges this advice in a PBS program that aired on Oct 18, 2022. He suggests your response could vary depending on how much warning you have before the violent shaking starts and what type of building you are in when the quake hits. Continue reading to learn more and watch the 12-minute video.

Chris Goldfinger offers new perspectives on what to do when a megaquake happens

Continue Reading

Where to put the poo if the toilets don't flush

2/8/2023

Cold weather often sets the stage for broken pipes, and when pipes don't work, you may have an extended interruption of sewage service. This scenario happened recently to Trish Reading, one of our volunteers. She set up her handy two-bucket emergency toilet system in her bathroom to get some immediate relief. Then she got to thinking, what do I doo with the poo? Lincoln Thomas, our Cedar Hills Ready! Newsletter editor, searched for answers.

Why two buckets?
The two-bucket emergency toilet system provides a way to separate pee and poo during an emergency. Separating poo and pee reduces the odors, so your environment is much more pleasant. More importantly, keeping pee and poo separate makes disposal easier. Most of the volume of your waste is in urine, and urine is not toxic, at least not right away, so it is easier to safely dispose of pee into the environment. On the other hand, poo contains microorganisms that can cause dysentery, cholera and a whole host of dangerous diseases. For that reason, you need to keep poo separate and dispose of it carefully.

How neighborhood readiness saved our lives and home from an electrical fire

1/16/2023

Five fire engines arrived at our house on 1/4/2023.

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!

Six lessons learned from our house fire

1/16/2023

When preparing for disasters, it’s hard to know exactly what might make the biggest difference in a future emergency. Fortunately, most disaster preparations can be helpful in a variety of disasters and emergencies. If you prepare for evacuation, such as getting your go bags ready, you’ll be ready to evacuate no matter what the cause, whether that’s due to a wildfire or an earthquake, both, or something else.
Bill and I have been teaching disaster and neighborhood readiness for five years as a way to build connected, caring, and resilient neighborhoods. Our skills were 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. What made the most difference to us during this crisis?

Do you have enough fire extinguishers? Do you know how and when to use them? Read the blog to learn about this and more.

Save the Date! Quake Prep - Mon, Jan 23, 2023

1/2/2023

How to Become Earthquake Safe in Your Home - Free Training

Click the image to register for this free event.

Register on Zoom for this free training on Monday, 1/23/23, 7 – 8 PM.
The BIG ONE? Will your piano rock? Your refrigerator roll? Many items we consider stable become a threat with undulation and earth tremors. Your cozy winter, in-house attention can generate great results for early preparation. In this meeting, we'll help you think through what might happen during a large earthquake, and how you can prepare and practice ahead of time to protect yourself and your loved ones. You will learn--in a fun, interactive format--the steps for becoming earthquake safe within your home. Join our Zoom meeting on Monday, January 23 at 7 pm. Everyone is welcome, and its free. Share and invite all your important people. Register in advance for this meeting: https://tinyurl.com/quakeprep012323

Questions? Visit us at www.cedarhillsready.org or contact us at info.cedarhillsready@gmail.com with questions.

Keeping kids safe in a medical emergency

1/1/2023

Link to Hero Kids Registry

Click to register for HERO kids

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.

Earthquake Regional Impact Analysis

12/29/2022

What's the risk of being unprepared for a major earthquake for people living in the Portland Oregon metropolitan area? What kind of losses and damage might occur? To answer these questions, the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) partnered with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) to create a report describing potential impacts to Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties from earthquakes, including a magnitude 9.0+ Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.
The report provides damage and casualty estimates to buildings, people, and key infrastructure sectors resulting from a major earthquake in the Portland metropolitan region. The study’s estimates of injuries and fatalities, building damages, and other impacts helps communities, the region, and the state better prepare for, respond to, and recover from major earthquakes.
Check out the 10-minute video to get a quick overview, or click on the images to get a summary of the impacts or read the full report.

Click image for the full report.

Click the image to get a summary of the impact estimates.

Click image to access an interactive map and discover hazards in your neighborhood in Oregon.

2 Weeks Ready: Neighbors Helping Neighbors

12/16/2022

Once a disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed. The 2 Weeks Ready program recommends people have an emergency plan and enough food, water and supplies to survive on their own for at least two weeks following any large-scale disaster. This program also encourages people to get to know their neighbors and plan together. Check out this brochure for some great ideas and tips on activities to do with your neighbors. This program is being developed the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM).

Makuru Stoves & EarthShot Award Winner

12/10/2022

Did you watch the 2022 Earthshot awards on OPB? I was delighted and inspired by the winners. One that stood out for me was the award-winning Makuru Stoves, a stove which creates 70% less particulate matter than stoves currently in use in Nairobi. Wouldn't it be a cool stove to have that stove for disaster preparedness? The Earthshot Prize is awarded to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism. Check out the winners here.