Calabasas Public Safety Commission rolling out new neighborhood readiness program





Deborah Fabos doesn’t want to leave the safety of herself and others to chance.

A member of the Calabasas Emergency Response Program, Fabos plans to work with her neighbors to make sure that residents in her community can help themselves and each other in the event of a disaster.

She will be among the first in Calabasas to carry out a new disaster readiness program called Map Your Neighborhood. The program was spearheaded in the state of Washington in 2007 to build and strengthen disaster readiness among neighbors.

“It’s so simple, and it gives ownership to families to be responsible for themselves,” Fabos told the Calabasas Public Safety Commission at a meeting last week.

The commission plans to host a workshop in September to introduce the Map Your Neighborhood program to homeowners association leaders, school and business groups, and community members.

Map Your Neighborhood identifies skills and equipment available within a particular neighborhood and provides nine steps to securing a home and protecting a neighborhood after a disaster. It’s a grassroots project that brings residents together, one street at a time, to develop a strategy for dealing with emergencies and strengthening disaster readiness throughout the city, officials said.

After the September workshop, commissioners will recruit volunteers to present the concept in their own neighborhoods using DVDs and information packets supplied by the city. The meetings will be at individual homes and last 90 minutes.

In order to work, the program must involve small groups of about 10 to 12 people who live in proximity to each other, said Jim Jordan, director of the Calabasas Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Department.

People who host the meetings should also invite one or two other people who live in other communities so they, in turn, can spread the word in their own neighborhoods.

“If we get 800 residents (involved) that would be phenomenal. You don’t have to be an expert,” Jordan said.

Information gathered at the meetings will include how many people live in a household, whether anyone is disabled or needs special medical care, and where gas shut-off valves are located.

Guidelines for personal safety and strategies to help neighbors in need, as well as recommendations for creating a gathering site and care center, will be provided.

Jordan said the meetings will give residents an opportunity to get acquainted with their neighbors.

Officials said that, ideally, all Calabasas households should participate in one of the meetings. Residents will learn how to help save lives and reduce the severity of injuries, trauma and property damage in their community should a disaster strike.

“It’s a big task to educate everybody in Calabasas,” said commission chair Sharon Boucher.

“The hardest thing is going to be finding volunteers who are willing to go out and share the information with their neighbors. The more individuals we have, the easier it will become,” Boucher said.

Commissioner Amber Gendein said many residents take public safety for granted.

In the event of a major disaster, such as an earthquake, first responders will be overwhelmed with calls. It could take several days for firefighters and paramedics to arrive, so it is up to residents to be responsible for helping one another and reducing the severity of injuries and damage in their own communities.

Fabos, who lives in a 71-unit condo complex, said her goal is to find six volunteers who will help to start a Map Your Neighborhood program in her community.

During her speech at the commission, she also encouraged residents to participate in disaster preparedness programs available through the city, such as the Calabasas Emergency Response Program or Community Emergency Response Team.

In addition, Fabos said people should consider obtaining an amateur radio license so they can have a reliable form of communication in the wake of an emergency.

For information about amateur radio classes, CERT, CERP and Map Your Neighborhood, visit www.cityofcalabasas.com.



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