No matter the situation, many of your neighbors are already planning to ensure that we are doing all we can to prepare for any emergency. It is clear to local leaders that should there be an event that disrupts communication, safety, transportation, and food distribution systems, we all need to be ready to take care of ourselves and each other, perhaps for an extended period of time.

Many neighborhoods, both county-wide and in Port Townsend, have organized groups that focus on individual preparedness. When folks become aware that these types of groups are active in our communities, their first question is, “Is there a group in my area?” To help answer that question, our local Neighborhood Preparation group NPREP provides access to a mapping program that citizens can use to determine if there is an organized group where they reside. If no group exists, Local 20/20’s NPREP volunteers are happy to share resources and help new groups get started. The link to the NPREP neighborhood directory is bit.ly/jc-ncs-map-find-nprep.

So, what does a neighborhood group do? One neighborhood group that has been active for over 20 years is the Bluff Neighborhood, located uptown in Port Townsend. Several times a year Bluff Block Coordinators come together to provide opportunities for neighbors to meet each other and gain information around emergency preparedness. 

One afternoon this spring, using a lens of what does individual preparation look like for  3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months, Bluff Neighborhood Block Coordinators invited their neighbors to gather at a local assembly site and explore ways to build self-reliance and capacity to withstand a protracted period when the Olympic Peninsula may be cut off from the main population and distribution centers of Washington.

In addition to sharing tactics and strategies that would enable individuals to cope without support, volunteers assembled a number of demonstration tables with ideas for stockpiling food, water and sanitation supplies. Volunteers also shared what they had put together for their personal “go-bags” in case of a required evacuation.

In the world of emergency preparation, it is often noted that “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” The Bluff Coordinators think that while that may very well be true, they also see their efforts closely aligned with the idea that “When the wheels come off the bus, the best resource you can have is knowing your neighbors.”

On behalf of Local 20/20’s NPREP group, The Production Alliance, and our Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management we encourage you to get involved with emergency preparation at whatever level you are comfortable with. A great place to start to gather some ideas is the All-County Picnic which each year brings together local agencies and groups that will help you prepare and then work alongside you should a major emergency occur. 

The 2024 All-County Picnic will be held at HJ Carroll Park on Sunday, August 18  11a.m. to 4 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

Mea Moore is retired from a career in education, focused on supporting multilingual students, teachers, families and communities. Previously she was the Director of Migrant and Bilingual education for Washington State. She is a member of Local 20/20’s Bluff Neighborhood emergency preparedness group.