Prep Time Is Never Wasted Time
by Vikki Richardson, Newsletter Reporter and Naomi Weinstein, MPERT lead
What happens if we need medical assistance and Oakland Fire is unable to respond fast enough, or what if we must remain in place a couple of days without basic utilities?
With the LA fires and recent October 580 freeway fire causing the evacuation of Campus Drive and Crystal Ridge Court, most of us have signed up for Alameda County’s alert program. We, as good neighbors, must be prepared to take care of ourselves and then offer assistance to those immediately around us.
Maxwell Park Emergency Response Team (MPERT) has been working diligently to help our neighborhood be prepared. It has divided Maxwell Park into ten Sectors of roughly 200 houses, in order to promote direct communications between neighbors, which is integral to supporting each other during an emergency.
MPERT is seeking to establish sub-sectors of about 80 homes, to help facilitate in person communications. A second goal this year is to develop sector-specific contact lists created, maintained, and held by a neighbor within each Sector who can send and receive communications from the MPERT contact list. A group text or email list of immediate neighbors may already exist on many blocks. These can easily be turned into a mini list if a neighbor or two volunteers to be the MPERT go-between.
MPERT has facilitated the installation of an Incident Command Center (ICC) in each Sector, with some community supplies made possible by generous donations from MPNC and others. ICCs serve as a gathering spot for neighbors and potentially first responders to get, or offer, assistance.
MPERT is asking the community for donations to add to the ICCs community emergency supply (CES) boxes, such as solar chargers, radios, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, and wood blocking. Email MPERT if you are able to help. They prefer donations of physical supplies, but can also accept money donations. These community supplies are not a substitute for lack of preparedness on the part of individuals. We must have our own three day supply of food, water, and first aid needs on hand.
MPERT helps promote getting more emergency radios into the community. MPERT also maintains an emergency contact list of its members, which includes the radio handles of emergency radio operators in each Sector. These radio operators are able to communicate with the larger community, and ultimately get a message to Oakland’s Emergency Response Center at Fire Station 1, if traditional communication lines are down.
Other things you can do:
Join the MPERT contact list MPERT.info@gmail.com and/or volunteer to maintain a mini contact list of your neighbors. Remember these lists are confidential and are only to be shared with the members on the list.
Consider taking an upcoming Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) class in February or May. PEP Registration
How about becoming certified in CERT, community emergency response team?
If so inclined, join a radio club to lend aid during an emergency. GMRS-GENOAK or ORCA
Make a family plan for emergencies and create a go bag.
Read other MPERT information on our Maxwell Park website.
A wonderful neighbor is a prepared neighbor!