Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N): Howard County, Maryland
Do you remember what you were doing on September 11, 2001? Did you feel ready for the power outages, the lack of water supply and the electrical lines that were down in the middle of neighborhood streets as a result of Hurricane Isabel? Could you have been prepared, or ready, for these horrific events, despite the fact that they arrived unannounced?It is not a question of IF, but WHEN the next natural or man-made disaster or emergency will take place. That has been the focus of much effort by local and federal governments, since the tragic events of the terrorist attacks of 9-11. Preparing for emergencies and developing a disaster plan for individuals, families and neighborhoods will enable each of us to manage, as best as possible, the next disaster. By preparing and planning in advance, each person's ability to cope is enhanced, family members are able to communicate their emergency plans with loved ones and family members, and neighbors network to compile a shared directory to dictate alternatives for managing the effects of any unexpected natural disaster or threat.
There are practical steps an individual can take that emphasize plans for you, your family and neighborhood to take, if instructed by local authorities to shelter-in-place, following an unexpected disaster or emergency. Being able to sustain yourself, your family and neighborhood, for up to five days, is the goal of Neighbor-to-Neighbor.
First:
Communicate
and share information, as a family or network
of neighbors about a disaster plan. Where will
your family meeting place be, if instructed to
evacuate? Will your children feel secure
knowing they may be told to stay in their
school building while you are told to remain at
your office? Have you selected a
remote meeting site, if you are each unable to
convene at your home?Communicating these plans before the emergency will help each family member feel secure at a difficult time of predictable confusion.