The Most Critical

  • Keep your vehicle gas tanks at least one half full in case you need to evacuate.
  • Carry cash, a whistle, a flashlight and a handkerchief with you at all times.
  • If anyone in your family takes medication, carry prescriptions with dosage with you at all times.
  • Identify a family member or friend out of your area to call in case local lines are down.
  • Store under your bed a pair of work shoes, work gloves, a flashlight, a whistle, a helmet, and a face mask.

CARD Tools and Resources

Plan for a two or three week PARTY

Plan for a two or three week PARTY with your neighbors in the event of a disaster!

  • P – Plan and Prepare
  • A – Act it out
  • R – Reach out to your family, your friends, your neighborhood, etc.
  • T – Treat yourself, your family and friends to emergency services gifts
  • Y – Because you care!

Each of us can locally commit to

  • family, neighborhood and community building
  • information sharing and training
  • supporting first responders
  • assisting for-profit and not-for-profit businesses in maintaining adequate recovery plans 
  • promoting partnerships between businesses and service clubs with not-for-profits so that all populations receive adequate disaster preparedness supplies and equipment
  • strengthening disaster preparedness policies and infrastructure planning locally, regionally, state, nationally, internationally

Neighborhood Emergency Response At-a-Glance (suitable for your business card)

This can be a very useful neighborhood plan and has been adopted from Oakland CARD’s materials. See important links.

Neighborhood Emergency Response At-a-Glance

Neighborhood Command Center: 

  • Provides neighborhood coordination and resource management
  • Provides communication with city, county and emergency services
  • Tracks and records all expenses, and activities for possible reimbursement and acknowledgment

Emergency Action and Facilities Group: 

  • Provides emergency rescue
  • Provides communication within the neighborhood
  • Assesses damages and may provide structural and infrastructure safety and construction
  • May provide portable power and sanitary facilities
  • Provides on-going security and neighborhood watch

Emergency Medical Group: 

  • Provides triage and emergency medical services

Commissary Group: 

  • Gathers, preserves and distributes food and water 

Social Group:

  • Provides coaching, support, entertainment, games, arts, crafts, and other social events
  • May provide the temporary schooling for children.