Palo Alto REDI Meeting Summary - December 3, 2002 (Resources for Emergencies and Disasters Initiative)

How To Build Community

	Block Parties are great to get people together.
	Surveys of neighborhoods are excellent to determine skills and needs.
		Surveys submitted from Stanford and Greenmeadow. Barron Park Survey has theirs on their website; Old Mt View has a survey, too.
		Comment: Surveys for some N/H need to be bilingual (Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian)
		Concern was expressed about security of information and where to keep - suggestion was at city level or if at neighborhood level in a secure data base with VERY limited access
	Organize by block, by area, or by voting precinct.
		Southgate has block captains who receive email notifications, and they share with their block either via email or copy and put on doorstep.
		It was noted that it was necessary to have co-chairs for responsibilities to backup if the other was at work, on vacation, or not available.
	Art Bayce (icon of emergency preparation, Barron Park and author of Living with our Faults) stressed periodic neighborhood drills as a critical parameter in preparedness.
	Some neighborhoods communicate effectively via newsletter and email, but there a concern was expressed about those who do not have email or not associated with a neighborhood group
	Barron Park welcomes new neighbors with a welcome packet includes Living with our Faults, Barron Park Newsletter, survey, resource list, Red Cross literature etc.
	Need to organize and make what you do sustainable.
	Crescent Park has 2 neighborhood events per year.

Suggestions

	Need expressed for website, listserv for PAREDI.
		Concern was expressed about privacy (who maintains?) and who will have our email address?
	Vial of Life: Important for anyone with medical needs.
		The vial of life allows any paramedic coming into a home to easily determine the medical status & history, physician name, medications. Sticker goes on refrigerator. Vial goes in refrigerator and contains detail.
	Critical to establish and maintain lists of disabled, those who have a medical necessity, or frail residents. Need to be determined if this a neighborhood or city wide function/responsibility?
		Fire department reported that they were planning to compile a list and those with special needs will be able to pre-register, and pre-designated PANDAs will be available to assist.
	City of Palo Alto Needs to host a citywide emergency resource faire.
		Greenmeadow has an excellent model (See Mike Karp's book on preparing an event).
	Can we arrange to buy in bulk (discount) things like 5 gallon water, emergency supplies etc?
	Every Palo Alto/Stanford resident should sign up for PANDA class and Red Cross Training.
	Let's develop a Best Practices (for Neighborhoods) and distribute to all neighborhoods citywide, information sharing between neighborhoods - trainers training trainers.
		Barron Park, College Terrace, Greenmeadow, Southgate, Stanford are models.
	Bring back the citywide Neighborhood Watch program and get people involved! Is it still active?
		The city has a quarterly police newsletter (Susie Jones).
	Suggestion that materials could be distributed throughout the city to every resident via the Palo Alto Weekly?
	Comment: Solar Systems can generate electricity in a disaster
	Have city sponsor block parties and neighborhood surveys.
	Program your cell phone with the city emergency number (329-2420) as an alternative to 911
	Water: Keep a supply of 5-7 days (per person) on hand. Suggested use 2&1/2 gallon jugs, cases of bottled water. Clorox (add 1 tsp to gallon), if you fear contamination.
	There is a need to put emergency information numbers, radio addresses etc in the PHONE BOOK.
	Stock lots of spare batteries on hand (change your batteries at least once a year).
	Critical to know your neighbors.
	Neighborhoods need phone trees and skills bank of resources and volunteers.
	Each resident should know how to turn off water and gas to your home.
		Turn off gas ONLY if necessary. Create a map of your house with emergency cut-offs.
	PANDA or other volunteers can post a sign on their house to indicate where they live and what type of skills
	Obtain an emergency medical kit; know how to make a porta-potty.
	Stock garbage bags for garbage. Bag up garbage for future pick-up.
	Keep cash on hand.
	Keep emergency equipment, first aid kit and comfortable shoes in car.
	Create an emergency plan for your family (and business) and discuss periodically.
	Use Explorer Scouts for projects. They are working with OES on several projects.

Other

	What's the best place to store emergency supplies at home? It depends. Some suggested an outside storage container. Other options are an entryway closet or a central location in the house. It depends on the type of residence, the structure, etc. There was a reminder to keep emergency supplies in vehicles in addition to the home. If an apartment, consider a backpack by the door. If a house, consider storing in a shed away from you main structure. Note: if you live in an apartment house, it is also important to get to know other neighbors on the block.
	What do YOU do, if your neighbor is not prepared?
	How do citizens find out what's going on during an emergency? The city maintains an Emergency Operation Center which is linked to state information as well as the water district.
		The city also puts current information on its website, which is available if power is on.
		Additionally the city has a teleminder system, that can call up to 1000 residents per hour to tell them of disaster. During a disaster the public can call the EOC hotline for emergency information, such as road closures.
		If the emergency is life-threatening, call 911.
		If evacuation is called for - the city plans fit into the county plans. Be sure to have battery-operated radios, with fresh batteries.
		Tune in to local stations KCBS (740 AM) or the Stanford Channel KZSU (90.1FM).
		Another option is local Cable Channel 26, which the city uses with streaming video announcements. Previously the city tried a siren warning system, but due to the lushness of this area, and other factors, the siren system didn't work and was abandoned.
	How do you communicate with the city in an emergency?
		It is necessary to plan for the inevitability that you will be cut off from the city and will need to be self-reliant for up to 100 days. Be prepared. Become a HAM radio operator. Identify those HAM radio operators on your neighborhood.
	Where will shelters be in an emergency?
		The Red Cross has a number of MOU's at strategically placed schools, houses of worship, community centers, and other facilities. Decisions to open shelters are made in conjunction with the city. The names and locations of shelter options are typically not given in advance. This is because any given shelter location could be impacted by the disaster, and might not be used. For this reason, shelter locations are announced at the time of an incident.
	Andy Anderson suggested that any backup water, equipment be checked periodically for mold, damage, disappearance, contamination.
	Training Options
		PANDA - It's a 21-hour curriculum, free of charge to Palo Alto residents, and the next program is soon to be scheduled, likely for January 2003. Interested folks should contact the Palo Alto OES office at 617-3197.
		RED CROSS - They offer First aid, CPR, and classes that focus on disaster services. Check into classes and supplies at www.paarc.org.
	Schools plan disaster drills in 2003.

Return to the Emergency Page