Three Days on Your Own

Depending upon the severity and location of the disaster, entire Walnut neighborhoods may be temporarily cut off from outside assistance, and residents could be their own for as long as three days or more.

Neighborhood Response Teams

Organizing into small Neighborhood Response Teams, is not only a good way to share information, but also represents an affirmative step in pulling together vital skills and resources which may be required following a disaster.

Get to know your neighbors, and become familiar with their routines. You are going to become partners in surviving a disaster. Start by exchanging names, home and work telephone numbers. Get to know which households have infants, latch key kids, seniors, individuals with disabilities or pets.

Draw a neighborhood map, (see next page) depicting each house number, occupant name with home and work telephone numbers.

List the important skills and survival equipment of your neighbors. Know who has:

• Medical, first aid or CPR training, such as physicians, nurses and paramedics.
• Emergency training, such as police or fire personnel.
• Mechanical training, including plumbers, electricians or building contractors; tools are also important.
• Communications equipment, including cellular phones, ham radios or Citizen Band radios.
• Outdoor camping experience and gear, including tents, stoves, sleeping bags, etc.
• A water purifier.
• A four-wheel drive vehicle.
• Gasoline-powered generators.
• Vegetable or fruit gardens.