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What’s on our minds
We share what we learn and what we’re doing so that others can learn from us and we can learn from others. Comments welcome!
Getting rid of your nightlight could save your life
Bedtime reading
Flashlights. They’re on every list of Things You Should Have in Case of Emergency. Keep one in your car, in your briefcase, next to your bed. That’s good advice.
But let’s talk about the one next to your bed. Are the batteries still good? Is it buried in that clutter in the drawer? Could you find in in the dark? And remember how to turn it on? Even if you are more than half asleep, and the room is half filled with smoke? Or a big jolt to the bed woke you up, and things are falling all over you, the bed, and the floor?
A problem with many emergency preparations is that people make them, and then forget them. Drawing up a detailed evacuation plan, and putting a flashlight by the bed is good. But it won’t help if you can’t find the flashlight, and don’t remember the plan.
So, get rid of your nightlight!
Instead, when you have to get up at night, use that flashlight. It’ll be bit cumbersome at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly. And, guess what? Should there be a fire or an earthquake in the middle of the night, you won’t be stumbling around in total darkness. You’ll automatically reach for your trusty flashlight. And it will be in good working order. If you’re somewhere unfamiliar, such as in a hotel room, you’ll be even happier when you find it in your hand.
The key to unpreparedness is to turn quotidian needs into opportunities for practicing habits that will save you in crisis. In other words, find ways to do what you do every day that will continue to work when things go wrong.
By the way, while you are putting that flashlight by your bed, mount it securely. It won’t help you if it’s gotten tossed across the room.
Oh, and slip on a pair of shoes when you stumble to the bathroom at night, too. There might be glass and other pokey things on the floor one night. Or you might have to run through the yard.
And the flashlight in your car? If your phone has a camera, it probably has a flashlight feature. Practice using it whenever you can.
The key to unpreparedness is to turn quotidian needs into opportunities for practicing habits that will save you in crisis.
Question: What suggestions do you have for developing habits that will serve you in an emergency?
Were you at the Live Oak School shelter in Rockport before, during or after the storm?
If you were, I want to hear your story, and get your perspective on what happened at the school before, during and after the storm.
I am a researcher in the field of community disaster response. I’m investigating how groups of strangers take care of themselves and others when there’s no one else to do it. I’m particularly interested in how people rise to leadership in crisis situations. Understanding how Rockport made things work will help others get ready to do the same!
I’ll be in the Rockport area until Sep 25, and can meet in person or by phone. After that, we can talk by phone.
Leave a comment, email sjul “at” creativecrisisleadership.org, or call me at 650–455–8228.
Thanks,
— Susanne
PS Read about the study (and help fund it) here.
Wow! Spontaneous leaders in the flesh!
Nonetheless, we thank everyone who stepped up when it was needed, including
Zachary Dearing in Rockport Texas:
Read the full article
Amanda Labove in Orange Texas:
Read the full article
Block party organizer FAQ
How long does the event last?
Half a day: 3 hours for the simulation, and then however long the party afterwards goes. Usually, we do the simulation from 2-5, and then hang out for a BBQ or potluck dinner.
Who should I invite?
Everyone on your block, in your building, or in your complex. The goal is for everyone around you to get to know each other. So you don’t want to limit it to people who already know one another.
Can kids take part? What about visitors?
Yes, kids, visitors, pets, everyone can take part. In a disaster, you will have to look after everyone and everything who happens to be nearby. This is a chance to think about what that would really be like.
Can you tell me more about the effort involved in organizing?
There are three areas of work for you: promoting the event, coordinating food, and setting up on the day:
Promoting the event involves going around to invite everyone personally. This usually takes two rounds of 30 minutes or so.
- Coordinating food can be as simple as asking everyone to bring something for a potluck. Or you could recruit someone to help cook up a BBQ.
- Setting up on the day is pretty easy. It involves setting out barricades (if you are closing the street), and a table for sign in (later used for food). We usually ask people to bring their own chairs. There’s always people willing to help with cleanup.
There are a few other planning and coordination tasks, but we make them as simple for you as we can.
One household can manage it all. But we strongly recommend that you recruit one or two neighbors to help. That not only makes it easier and more fun, it gets neighbors working together from the outset.
What do you provide?
- Everything need for the simulation, including the people to run it.
- Examples of and help, as needed, with
- A checklist and timeline for what you need to do.
- Design for flyers and other promotional materials, and talking points for introducing them.
- Help with applying for street closure permit, and a Know Your Neighbors grant.
- A link where people can sign up for the event. This will include questions about food as needed.
- Draft text and email addresses of participants for any messages you might need to send out.
What do you need from me?
- A place where we can set up headquarters for the simulation. You’ll need to provide us with a table big enough for two laptops, an internet connection, and access to a toilet.
- Water and snacks for participants during the break in the simulation.
What about money?
Your expenses are for food and copying flyers. Our expenses are for simulation materials and event insurance. We’ll work with you to set a budget. We’ll also work with you to apply for a Know Your Neighbors grant from the City of Palo Alto, if there are funds available.
What’s the simulation like?
The simulation is a combined disaster simulation and interactive game. We ask participants to imagine that a catastrophic earthquake has occurred, then go through the motions of dealing with concerns that have come up in their own homes, and around the neighborhood. The goals are to practice using the materials and people at hand, and to learn from each other.
What’s the timeframe for this?
We’d like to have all events completed by Thanksgiving. If you want to be outdoors, you’ll want to hold your event by mid-October.
You’ll need to start promoting your event at least 4 weeks in advance to get on people’s calendars.
Why are you doing this?
We believe that events such as this build community, and increase local resilience to disaster. So we are working to develop a package that makes it easy to organize an event, and simple to run the simulation. By organizing an event now, you’ll be helping to create something that many others can use in the future.
Have a block party with a twist!
We’re looking for a few Palo Alto residents to help organize a block party with a twist.
What’s the twist? It’s a live-action simulation designed to help families and neighbors practice their response to a catastrophic earthquake. Participants face the prospect of being without everyday services such as water, electricity, cell phones, and internet. With stores closed and emergency services busy elsewhere, they quickly discover what resources they can rely on. Most importantly, the people around them.
We’re Creative Crisis Leadership. Our goal is to increase community resilience to disaster. We provide the learning experience. You provide the neighbors and the party. Together we make it happen. In the words of a participant, “It is a great way to meet neighbors and gain comfort in working together.”
Lead the way in helping your neighbors get to know one another, have fun, and be ready to depend on each other in a major disaster. Check our organizer FAQ, and get in touch with our local team lead, Susanne Jul, for more information.
Susanne Jul
sjul at creativecrisisleadership.org
Pictures from our May 20 pilot event:
Practicing “duck, cover, and hold.”
Getting to someone trapped in a room.
Helping each other.