Patrick M. CollinsPrince William County Emergency Services Manager

Bonnie NahasVolunteer Prince William

Help Us Help You!

Emergency Preparedness:It’s Everybody’s Job

• Personal preparedness

• Prepare your business

• Working with volunteers

Personal Preparedness

• Be Informed

• Make a Plan

• Build a Kit

– How many ways can we say it?– Unfortunately, the best incentive is the next

disaster.

Understand What Could Happen

• Look where you live• Find out about neighborhood disaster plans• Understand the threat• What might occur that would require you to

leave?

How Will You Detect the Emergency?

• Weather Radio• Alarms (smoke and CO)• Media (WTOP and WMAL)• PWCAN• Social media• Mobile apps

Create an Emergency Plan

• Meet with your family

• Determine where to meet

• Have an out-of-town contact

• Emergency plan for mobility impaired

• Evacuate vs. Sheltering

• What to do if you have a disaster

• Emergency plan for family pets

Disaster Supplies Kit

• Food and water: at least 3 day’s supply• Clothing• First aid kit (prescriptions, eyeglasses)• Emergency tools (flashlight, radio)• Car keys, Cash, CC• Sanitation supplies• Important documents• Supplies for special needs and pets

Preparedness Checklist

• Emergency Numbers• Utilities• Fire Extinguisher• Smoke Alarm (CO)• Escape Routes• Electrical Power• First Aid/CPR• Inventory Home Possessions• Weather Radio

Checklist

• Smoke alarm

• Carbon monoxide alarm

• Weather radio

• PWCAN

• Family Plan

Protecting Your Business

• What are your responsibilities as an HOA or Civic Association following a disaster?

• Do you have an Emergency Operations Plan and a Continuity of Operations Plan?

• Do you have a plan to coordinate neighborhood volunteers?

Who is Responsible?

• Roads/parking lots/sidewalks

• Debris removal

• Trash collection

• Landscaping

• Common buildings/property

Protect Your Property

• Secure roof• Clear gutters and stormwater drains• Secure fuel tanks, water heaters and appliances

that may shift during flooding• Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed and free of

dead limbs• Secure outdoor items during severe weather• Know your flood risk (flood plain, stormwater

runoff)

Plan Ahead

• Review insurance coverage

• Review contracts

• Develop communication plans– With management– With residents– With critical partners– With volunteers

• Volunteer coordination

What’s Happening While Your Phone is Ringing?

• As a neighborhood leader do you often feel as though you have ASK ME written on your forehead?

• Know where to get ACCURATE information.• You are a great resource for SITUATIONAL

AWARENESS.• Know how to report: PWC Non-Emergency

number 703-792-6500

Emergency Operations Center: 703-792-7020

Whole Community Approach

• Are there any neighbors in the ‘hood?– How well do the families in you neighborhood

know one another?– Who may be more vulnerable?– Will they know the person knocking at their

door asking if they are “OK”?

But I just wanted to help . . .

• We certainly want neighbors to help neighbors but remember:– SAFETY FIRST– RESPECT the individual– Don’t be the Lone Ranger

• (know when to get (professional) help)

– Don’t forget the Insurance Company!– Don’t share personal information in such a

way as to cause harm

Volunteers Affiliated vs. Unaffiliated

• Affiliated Volunteers are those who are members of one of your existing committees, participate regularly, and generally speaking have a role within your neighborhood structure. Some examples are: your Neighborhood Watch coordinator, your BOD officers; your Beautification Committee members, your neighborhood newsletter team.

• Unaffiliated Volunteers have not committed themselves to a group but still want to help.

What / Who Are Your Existing Resources?

• SAFETY first, last, and ALWAYS• It is easy to get overwhelmed while trying to

create a volunteer position.• You don’t have to invent anything, simply focus

on what would make life easier!• Be sure to develop reporting protocols for

volunteers.• Do you have:

– A Community Center? – Phone Trees through existing groups/committees?

The Bigger Picture

• Volunteer Prince William provides volunteer and donations management to Prince William County Government following disasters.

• We will operate what is called a Volunteer Reception Center either virtually or physically.

• Perhaps your neighborhood has resources to share?• Learn how to help outside your community:

– www.volunteerprincewilliam.org

Un-Met Needs

• Through regional messaging, people who become spontaneous volunteers will be directed to the Reception Center and AWAY from the scene of the disaster.

• At that point, they can be assigned jobs according to community NEEDS.

Volunteer Reception Center

• A proven method for making efficient use of volunteer resources; built on the Volunteer Florida Model

• Volunteers are processed through a series of stations where they must present ID and sign a liability waiver.

• They are matched to a request for volunteer(s)• They are given a cursory Safety Training• They are given a color coded bracelet to show

they have been assigned to an agency

Evaluate Your Volunteer Program

• How do you currently utilize volunteers?

• Do you have written volunteer position descriptions?

• What can your regular committee volunteers do outside their normal capacity to assist in an emergency?

• Remember, you are likely to be affected by the disaster too!

VPW Provides RegularTraining Sessions

Our next Volunteer Management Training

Series is:• Wednesday, March 20th, 27th, and April 3rd and

17th

• Carteret Boys & Girls Club, Manassas at 7pm• Each session builds on the next• Our trainer is Trish Redmond. Please go to www.volunteerprincewilliam.org and click on EVENTS to

register!

For More Information

• pwcgov.org/emergency • ready.gov• www.vaemergency.gov• readynova.org• redcross.org• Volunteerprincewilliam.org

Questions?