The following is an email sent to us by Kathy Anderson of the Silver City Neighborhood Alliance:
Folks are talking about how federal grant funds and emergency costs are diminishing. Perhaps that’s why various federal agencies are sending subcontractor trainers around the county to help cities, towns and small communities learn how to ‘cope.’ This month is National Preparedness Month.
And National Preparedness Month, so-named by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is a month for creation of Preparedness Communities. http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/grouphome
The nation has been divided into regions of preparedness, http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectId=191763&exp=e1, then “Communities of Practice.” http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectId=212019&exp=e1
FEMA has tool kits for communities who chose to be prepared: http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectId=3200688
The Alliance is looking at preparedness and how we might help our community, well, “be prepared.” Future wildfire risk is utmost in our minds, but food resources, crime and other issues exist. Some of us have discussed the feasibility of an annual “emergency preparedness” conference where food & community gardens, wildfire, elder communications in emergency situations, crime and other issues could be discussed.
While we continue our discussions, please feel free to weigh in. Is this needed in Silver City? Take some time and scan FEMA’s “National Preparedness Month” resources at these websites? Is there any benefit to becoming a “Community of Practice”?
