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| THE COLONY NEWS | OCTOBER 2024 | 15 Are You Prepared? We have been reminded recently of potential catastrophic incidents that could affect The Colony. These include wildfires as well as earthquakes. The Colony has been informed by the city that in the immediate aftermath of an emergency situation, we have to rely on ourselves. The Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC), an all-volunteer group of residents, is charged with preparing for a catastrophic event in or near The Colony. The plan that has been developed is a top-down approach. The Emergency Response Team (ERT) has an Incident Commander at the top, with Area Coordinators below and Block Captains at the street and house level. The Colony is divided into 141 blocks (typically 10-15 homes on a portion of a street) organized in 17 areas of typically 90 homes each. This approach can work when all positions are filled. However, this is currently not the case and has not been for a long time. At the time of this writing, 51 of the 141 blocks are missing Block Captains. Of the 17 areas, five are missing Area Coordinators. This means that only 47 percent of our residents are in the ideal situation of having both an Area Coordinator and a Block Captain, and 38 percent are missing a Block Captain. Fortunately, we have yet to have had an emergency that has required the activation of the ERT. Unfortunately, it is not a question of "if " but rather "when" a disaster will strike. The areas without an Area Coordinator are: • Via Francisco and Via Isabella • The area bounded by Via Hacienda, Via Estrada, Via Prima Vera and Via Malagas (including Corte Lucia) • Via Tiama, Via Compadres, Via Alta Mira, Via Barletta, Via Aguadulce and Via Ambiente • Via Astuto and Corte Peralta • Via Tonada and Via Marisa. The streets that are missing all or a majority of Block Captains are: • Via Acuna, Via Alta Mira, Via Ambiente, Via Calidad, Via Compadres, Corte Fortuna, Via Graziana, Via Llano, Via Pamilla, Corte Peralta, Via Prima Vera, Via Tiama and Corte Valente These are the most critical streets, but many others are missing one or two Block Captains. As you can see from the above lists, several streets are missing both Block Captains as well as the Area Coordinator. If you are interested in helping The Colony community, please contact Jackie Price (Chair), Kathy Lewis (Recruitment) or Bob Clare (Data Management). Our phone numbers can be found on page 2 of e Colony News. The Search and Rescue team, which is an integral part of the ERT, is also in need of additional volunteers. If you feel that you can help in the aftermath of an emergency, please contact Karl Gerlach (phone number on page 2). This is especially true if you have CERT training. Finally, we want to thank all of you who have already volunteered to help your fellow residents! Here is a brief description of the duties and responsibilities of Block Captains and Area Coordinators: Block Captains: The basic responsibility of the Block Captain (BC) is to determine in an emergency whether anyone in the homes in the assigned block need assistance in evacuating or need emergency assistance. The BC should get to know their neighbors on their block, so that they know in advance which neighbors might need assistance. In the event of an emergency in which city fire and rescue crews are unavailable or delayed in responding, the BC's should first assure that no one in their own home needs assistance or needs to evacuate. Then, if it is safe to do so, the BC's will check on the residents in the BC's assigned block and determine if there are any injuries or other need for assistance. The BC will report any injuries or other needs to their Area Coordinator (AC). Once the BC notifies the AC of any injuries or other need for assistance, the AC will notify the command center who will attempt to organize search and rescue teams, if necessary, and if any team members are available to assist. In the event of something such as a wildfire, depending on where the fire is and the prevailing conditions, residents may need to evacuate. If possible, the BC will work with the police and/or fire department to assist residents in evacuating the community. This will be communicated to the BCs by the command center through their AC. Area Coordinators: The Area Coordinator (AC) shall attempt to recruit enough Block Captains to assure all homes will be promptly checked for injury and major damage during any type of disaster. The AC will work with each BC to gather equipment, e.g., walkie- talkie, ID card, clipboard with partially filled out "Incident Report Forms," pen or pencil, vest, f lashlight, f luorescent marking tape, extra batteries, and a cell phone. Except for the cell phone, this equipment should be kept in a backpack or carry bag for easy retrieval. Each AC should have regular meetings with their BCs so that they work as a functioning team. This includes regular walkie- talkie 'roll calls' so that everyone is comfortable using the walkie- talkies. These types of meetings create a team environment where everyone works together more efficiently. Generally, BCs and ACs will not be medical professionals and will not be providing medical services. The BCs and ACs are volunteers who will attempt to assist their neighbors in the event of a catastrophic event until such time as emergency rescue teams or other professionals are able to provide assistance. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE Commander at the top, with Area Coordinators house level. The Colony is divided into 141 blocks (typically 10-15 homes on a portion of a street) organized in 17 areas of typically 90 positions are filled. However, this is currently not the case and has not been for a long time. are missing Block Captains. Of the 17 areas, are in the ideal situation of having both an

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