As part of the 2015 Great California Shakeout (http://shakeout.org/california/), on October 15th, the residents of Plymouth Village in Redlands, California volunteered to get involved, and ensure they were prepared for both emergencies and the aftermath.
Following the drill, 50 individuals worked to prepare for an actual emergency response scenario through the use of mock emergency situations, according to the Redlands Daily Facts. Coordinating from the community’s Emergency Operations center via ham radio, volunteer patrols worked to confirm proper response to the drills.
The team has been working together for over a year to ensure the residents would be able to handle an initial disaster response in the event that emergency personnel are delayed after a quake or other natural disaster. To provide this support, various residents have worked toward familiarizing themselves with disaster relief plans, and toward becoming certified radio operators.
“In the event of an actual emergency, the chances are that we will not have a lot of support staff on campus because it would probably happen in the middle of the night,” Theresa Long, chief radio deputy for the response team, told Redlands Daily Facts. “And so, we want everybody to be prepared, so if something does happen while we’re in route to get here, they are taking care of themselves and are able to handle some minor emergencies right away.”
Sources:
http://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12127251/the-great-shakeout-shakes-up-avta
