Emergency Watch
A Neighborhood Preparedness Program
Register for Neighborhood Leader Orientations and Emergency Watch training opportunities here
After a major disaster, the State of Alaska recommends that Alaskans be able to take care of themselves for up to 5 to 7 days after the disaster, before emergency services can reach your neighborhood. The Emergency Watch program was developed in response to this recommendation. Emergency Watch is a relatively low maintenance program to start and maintain in your neighborhood. Emergency Watch Program tasks:
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Attend a 2.5 hour Emergency Watch Orientation to learn about the program, why it is so important to prepare as a neighborhood, how the porgram will help you and your neighbors, and what a Neighborhood Leader does.
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Hold one initial planning meeting with your neighbors and develop your emergency response neighborhood plan using our easy to fill out templates.
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Enlist the help of your neighbors. Each Emergency Watch program will operate 4 Critical Task Teams: communication, first aid/CPR, damage survey, and resources. A neighborhood leader will oversee these teams and tasks but the teams will be made up of neighborhood volunteers.
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Conduct an annual or biannual exercise to practice and evaluate your neighborhood emergency plan. This can be as simple as a tabletop exercise or it can be a full-scale exercise to walk through every step of your plan. The Office of Emergency Management is available to help you plan, put together, and conduct your exercise.
To learn more check out this informational brochure or email Dawn Brantley, Community Preparedness Coordinator, at brantleyd@muni.org
New Neighbhorhood Leader Orientations will be held on
Jan 26th from 6-8:30pm
or
Jan 28th from 9-11:30am
At the Office of Emergency Management, 1305 E St
At the Office of Emergency Management, 1305 E St
Select which date and time work best for you and then register by clicking here. For a pdf flyer about these Orientations, click here.
***Orientations need a minimum of 15 people registered. If registration falls short, you will be notified by email of the Orientation's cancellation and the next available dates.***
Not sure if there is a program in your neighborhood? Email your address or call to find out.
Updated and Improved Neighborhood Leader Toolkit
The Neighborhood Leader Toolkit has been redesigned to be a more practical tool in establishing or maintaining a program and to offer Neighborhood Leaders more comprehensive emergency preparedness and response information. The new toolkit includes information such as:
- The Phases of Emergency Management
- Emergency Operations Center Levels of Response
- Where to buy a kit
- Family communications plan
- Sealing a room
- The evacuation process
- The Next of Kin Registry
- Information resources
- Disaster-specific before, during and after information
- Alaska Volcano Observatory levels of concern
- How a wildfire spreads
- Hypothermia
- Sample agenda & utilizable meeting script
- Basic search & rescue techniques
- How to shut off gas, water & electricity
- Personal stories and organization examples of disasters and preparedness/response efforts
The new toolkit is too large to be available online. Neighborhood Leaders and any resident interested in Emergency Watch may request copies by emailing brantleyd@muni.org
Wondering if there is a program or new leader for your area?
Check the maps below. Dots represent new leaders who are in the process of establiching an Emergency Watch program. Red, shaded areas are official neighborhoods with active emergency plans and Critical Task Teams. If you would like to connect with a leader, please email your information and the name of the Emergency Watch neighborhood or number of the Emergency Watch location and your information will be forwarded to the neighborhood leader. Email this information to brantleyd@muni.org
Anchorage Emergency Watch
Eagle River/Chugiak Emergency Watch