Emergency Preparedness B2WR – Part 2 Your Emergency Plan

Published July 23, 2024

PNA has been following the City of Lake Oswego’s adoption of the Be 2 Weeks Ready (B2WR) Program. Oregon has faced a series of emergencies, including floods, droughts, wildfires, ice storms, heatwaves, and a pandemic. These events show the critical importance of being prepared. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM) aims to empower people to prepare effectively because once a disaster occurs, preparation time is over. This is why individuals, families, and communities should strive to “Be 2 Weeks Ready.”

“It used to be that we were encouraged to prepare for 72 hours. Now, the City of Lake Oswego and State of Oregon are encouraging 2 weeks. Personally, I think the Be Two Weeks Ready program is a great resource, but so are others like the Red Cross and FEMA resources. The important thing is to take the first step which is the commitment to be prepared. It could take months or more, but each step you take is progress.”

–  Roger Gray, PNA Area 7 Representative and Emergency Preparedness Committee Member

For information regarding Oregon’s overall efforts, click here.

Your Emergency Plan

Preparedness Overview:

Ensure everyone in your household is ready for unexpected situations to save lives and return to normal routines quickly.

Quickstart Steps:

  1. Learn About the Hazards in Your Area
  2. Make a Household Communication Plan
  3. Make an Emergency Plan
  4. Sign Up for Emergency Alerts
  5. Practice
  6. Considerations


Details:

  1. Learn About Hazards:
    • Identify risks specific to your location (e.g., earthquakes, floods, wildfires) with help from local emergency agencies and fire departments.
  2. Household Communication Plan:
    • Discuss emergency actions with household members.
    • Plan for evacuation or sheltering in place.
    • Key components:
      • Out-of-area contact
      • Evacuation routes
      • Meeting place
      • Contact methods if separated
      • Share your plan with family and friends.
  3. Emergency Plan:
    • Involve everyone in creating the plan.
    • For evacuation, prepare a go-kit with essentials (Six Ps: People and pets, Prescriptions, Phones and chargers, Plastic and cash, Papers, Pictures).
    • For sheltering in place, ensure supplies for two weeks without electricity or water, including food, flashlights, power banks, and batteries.


Additional Resources:

Sheltering in Place:

  • Supplies for Two Weeks:
    • Ensure enough supplies for survival without electricity, running water, or working toilets.
    • Include the Six Ps: People and pets, Prescriptions, Phones and chargers, Plastic and cash, Papers, Pictures.
    • Track household food consumption over two weeks to gauge needed quantities.
    • Gather existing emergency supplies like flashlights, power banks, and batteries.

       

  • Sign Up for Emergency Alerts:
    • Priority Alerts:
      • Register on your county emergency management website.
      • Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on cell phones:
        • Apple: Settings > Notifications > Government Alerts.
        • Android: Settings > Search “Emergency” or click on “Safety and Emergency.”
      • Visit www.oralert.gov for local alerts in Oregon.

         

    • Additional Alerts:
      • Download the “MyShake” app for earthquake notifications in Oregon, Washington, and California.
      • Purchase a NOAA radio for severe weather updates.
      • Follow your local emergency management office on social media platforms like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

For assistance, explore this activity in the Be 2 Weeks Ready Program Toolkit. 

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Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) Project Coordinator

Primary Role:

  • Handles NEP grant applications, grant approvals, reviews receipts for reimbursement and is the single point of contact between the entire Palisades Neighborhood Association (PNA) and the City.
  • To be successfull in this role you should be organized, communicative.
  • Time commitment: From 8-12 hrs. throughout the year

Process:

  • Accepting NEP proposals: Anyone living in the Palisades Neighborhood Association can submit proposal(s) to the NEP Coordinator along with estimated costs throughout the year. They should follow the application guidelines and answer the questions related to their proposal.
  • PNA Board will Vote on Which Items To Include in our NEP Proposal: During the month of March PNA board meeting the NEP Coordinator asks the board to vote on the proposed item(s). NEP Coordinator encourages person(s) proposing the item(s) to attend the meeting to answer questions that might come up. The PNA board then votes on which items should be included in the NEP grant proposal.
  • Developing and Submitting the NEP Grant Proposalt: During the NEP grant proposal period (usually the month of May) the NEP Project Coordinator:
    • Fills out the NEP grant proposal application based on items approved by the PNA Board;
    • Gets sign offs from the PNA Chair
    • Submits the proposal form to the city in early May for the initial review process
    • Provides additional information requested by the city
    • Revises and submits the final application to the City by the deadline (typically May 31).

What Happens Next:

  • Iris McCaleb from the City forwards the NEP grant proposals to the grant review committee and then to the City Council who review it and awards certain grants.The NEP Coordinator will receive a letter of award from the City and will share it with the PNA Leadership Team.
  • As items are purchased from the approved grant list, the project close-out form is filled out by the person requesting reimbursement. They will attach digital copies of receipts and photos and then submit all to both the NEP Project Coordinator and the PNA Chair. The NEP Project Coordinator submits the reimbursement request to Iris at the City for reimbursement.
  • Reimbursement checks are then sent directly to the person who purchased the item(s).