This list of resources is from our September 2023 chapter meeting on disaster and emergency preparedness, focusing on people with hearing loss. You can view a meeting recording here on our YouTube (1h01m) channel. Most of the links will take you to a third-party website in a new browser tab.
In an emergency, you can dial 911 and expect a response in a reasonable time frame. A disaster is when you dial 911 and services are overwhelmed by an event where you may not receive a response for hours or days. In the California San Francisco Bay Area, these events can include wildfires, flooding, or earthquakes. You may be on your own for an extended period and must prepare for this eventuality.
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Contact information:
Almost everything you need to know about planning for and after a disaster can be found here or on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website.
Although Smart911 is a nationwide service, it is not available in every municipality yet. Automated delivery of a Safety Profile to local law enforcement, medical and fire responders is dependent on local public safety agencies installing the Smart911 technology. Even if the service is not yet available in your home or work jurisdiction, we encourage you to create a Smart911 profile, since you may travel into an area that has enabled Smart911. (excerpt from Smart911 website)
The following communities are currently using Smart911:
Sign up for Smart911 here.
Another resource for emergency planning using an interactive guide.
PG&E Gas and Electrical Safety videos – highly recommended by Alan. Repeatedly presented to Walnut Creek CERT. Contact Alan if you are interested in having a PG&E Public Safety Specialist give a presentation.
CERT is different than the other resources listed here apart from EPO. CERTs are trained volunteers whose primary function in a disaster is to be the eyes and ears during the initial period of a disaster. They collect information and pass it on to the city’s Office of Emergency Services so they can determine where to allocate resources. CERTs are trained in Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue, Fire Safety and Utility Controls, and Disaster Psychology. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, check with your local city. It may go by a different name in some areas like Berkeley is BERT (Berkeley) and San Francisco is NERT (Neighborhood.)
You can print or download our Emergency Preparedness brochure here and the Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors here. Just click on the arrow icon in the upper right corner of the document.
You can join or renew your HLAA and HLAA – Diablo Valley Chapter membership online or print and mail form here.
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