How We Prepare

There are may ways to prepare both personally and through coordinated efforts with neighbors.  Educating yourself on the risks, understanding how to respond, establishing plans of action and communicating and educating family members and neighbors are all components of good preparation.

Personal Preparation

​​Following earthquake response simulations the Washington State Emergency Management Division developed a program called 2 Weeks Ready encouraging all citizens in earthquake zones to build and maintain a kit with food, water and other essential supplies.
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Also, the Bellevue Office of Emergency Management offers guidance concerning how to personally prepare for disasters and how to prepare your family and home.
A kit can be expensive to purchase all at once.  In response, the Red Cross has developed a kit calendar which prioritizes and distributes kit component purchases over a period of 24 weeks. By the 24th week you will have a complete kit.

Block Groups

Neighbors who are prepared to communicate and help each other during an emergency situation are more resilient to disasters, reduce crime and improve safety. Over the years, many block groups of 15 to 40 homes each have been organized to promote community safety and emergency preparedness. Some of these groups are still active but many are not. New neighbors have moved in and many block group organizers have moved on. Revitalizing, organizing and maintaining our block groups is a key goal and function of the SCA Preparedness Committee.

Join and participate with your group!  If you don't know who your block organizers are email us for information.  If there is no group in your immediate vicinity, convince a few neighbors to help you form a block group. It is not as hard as it might sound and can be very rewarding.  We are always seeking individuals interested in reviving or forming a block group.

Organizing groups around Bellevue-supported programs such as Map Your Neighborhood and Block Watch  creates a focus for neighbors looking for a reason to participate.
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The SCA provides limited financial support for groups organizing block activities and can also offer direction and organizational assistance in planning a group activity, connecting you with resources and facilitating meeting discussions.  Send email to the address below for information.

Communications

When a major earthquake or other disaster strikes our region telephone services may be interrupted for days or weeks. We are looking to identify people in Somerset who are ham radio operators or maintain satellite phone call or text services that are willing to assist with communications during a widespread emergency or disaster situation. Please contact us at the address below if you would be willing to help out in such a situation.

Training

Neighborhood residents with organizational, response and lifesaving skills may be of vital imporance during the first few hours of a disaster response. There are many training opportunities available. These include:
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and CERT Lite
  • CERT is a program of citizen volunteers who are specially trained to help in emergency and disaster scenarios. We currently have a few "CERTs" in our neighborhood but not nearly enough to provide a coordinated neighborhood disaster response. Please consider being added to the list of trained CERTs in Somerset.
  • CERT Lite is a scaled-down version of the full CERT program, providing basic instruction and skill practice for use in emergency situations.
The American Red Cross offers online and in-class training for First Aid, CPR, AED and a range of other emergency skills.
Enroll in a Stop the Bleed class at Harborview.

Stay Updated

​There are many additional resources available to help you stay informed and up to date with the latest information and skills.
For more information contact somersetprepares@gmail.com .