Neighborhood Watch
You’re not always going to be home when an emergency strikes. You may be away for business or on vacation. Either way, there’s nothing you can do to get the items out of your house. Now what?
Some communities are setting up Neighborhood Pods. They are a great option to make sure a small selection of houses are protected.
What Is a Neighborhood Pod?
A Neighborhood Pod is a little like a Neighborhood Watch. The collection is just smaller. You want a group of four to six adjacent houses, so you’re looking at neighbors either side of you and just across the street.
You will all collect together to make sure other houses in the neighborhood are protected and the initial evacuation kits are out of the house.
Of course, the Pod members will need to look after their houses first. Then they can go to other houses if there is time.
Meet to Find a Way to Best Help Each Other
You’ll want to meet regularly to discuss options. The first one is going to involve discussions on how you can best help each other. This could be to check on young children and elderly parents. It could be to make sure pets are secured and out of the house until you can get back.
You’ll need a way to make it known you’re going away. You may have a trusted neighbor you leave a key with and share dates as to when you’ll be out and when you’ll be back. This isn’t just good for an evacuation order, but it’s also a good way to make sure your homes are protected from burglaries and other issues when you’re gone.
Set up a potluck at a house for the first meeting. Everyone can lay out their concerns, including their own needs and what they’re worried about if a neighbor is away.
Set Up a Phone Tree
This meeting is a good time to get a phone tree going. Each person needs three people on their list they need to call. The first one calls their three with all the relevant evacuation information. Then those three call the three on their list. This can be Chinese whispers, so make sure all the information is written down.
Keep this phone tree up to date. People move in and out of the area and phone numbers can change.
Talk About Fire Mitigation Work
You will want to make sure everyone in the area is prepared in a way to prevent potential disasters. This means mitigation work.
Some people may not have the ability to do their mitigation work due to a disability or age. The Pod can get together to make sure it’s done. This isn’t just good for the neighbor, but it’s good for the whole Pod.
Not everyone is going to want to be part of a Neighborhood Pod. Make sure you have a list of the people who aren’t involved. It doesn’t mean you have to ignore them, but know that you can’t rely on them should something happen.