Did you get a little more ready for the Big One on Saturday? Did you join in Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) across Berkeley in disaster preparedness exercises? The Vermont Avenue North Neighborhood Association did. Here they are in action, photographed by Nancy Rubin.
Check out the Berkeley city website page for a number of resources to help both individuals and neighborhood groups prepare for a disaster, including ideal contents for a personal backpack survival kit, radio communication basics, and a guide to creating a neighborhood map which details utility shutoff valves and switches. The city also maintains a comprehensive emergency preparedness gateway on the web.
According to Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong, the most important thing to learn is the five steps for earthquake preparedness: make a plan for how to evacuate and where to meet, arrange for a long-distance telephone contact, prepare a five-day emergency supplies kit, prepare your home to survive an earthquake, and get to know your neighbors and organize your neighborhood.
Related:
On Saturday: Berkeley practices for a major earthquake [05.18.12]
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