2013 Vashon Preparedness Highlights

Presented at the 19 October 2013 Annual Meeting

Historic Community Summit: Began a new tradition, an annual community gathering to agree on preparedness priorities and to form community partnerships for action.

VIFR Agreement: Formalized years of work with a Service Agreement adopted between Vashon Island Fire & Rescue and VashonBePrepared.

New Mission Statement: Adopted new mission statement in our bylaws. VashonBePrepared is a community nonprofit organization of neighbors helping neighbors to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters or other emergencies.

Regional Earthquake Exercise: Participated in regional Evergreen Earthquake Exercise. Planned and executed Operation Lifeline test with King County Water Taxi. Involved more than fifty volunteers working over the course of two days. Visited by more than a dozen Island businesses.

Voice of Vashon: Expanded emergency alert system capabilities. Now merged into the Emergency Operations Center as Public Information staff. Major upgrades to standby electricity and completion of flashing light system. New website to stream and post text of bulletins.Applying for community FM radio station license to increase coverage.

Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan: Giving Vashon a voice and supporting VIFR through membership of Steering Committee for the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan, a future source for federal grants.

Community Shelter, Food and Water: Formalized new partnerships with Granny's Attic for staffing shelters and Food Bank for staffing community food and water distribution.

Medical Reserve Corps: Applied for and received federal grant from National Association of City and County Health Officers.

Registered Emergency Workers: Implemented state emergency worker protection for members of the Emergency Operations Center Team.

Preparedness Training Examples:

  • First Red Cross shelter training on Vashon for many years with major participation by Granny's Attic volunteers.
  • Community Emergency Response Team new recruit class, quarterly refreshers.
  • Joint CERT/ARES search and rescue exercise in Center Forest.
  • Amateur radio license training for CERT volunteers with 15 new Hams licensed.
  • Monthly Emergency Operations Center drill nights.
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