Map Your Neighborhood

Map Your Neighborhood is a simple program that greatly increases your safety immediately following a disaster. “Map Your Neighborhood” (MYN) is a program designed to help neighborhoods prepare for disasters.

A single disaster causes many individual emergencies at one time. Unfortunately, the police or fire department may not be able to respond to your call for help in a timely manner. Fire departments are mandated to perform Damage Assessments of their entire districts and then to respond to the situations where crews can do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Professional emergency response to your situation may be delayed for hours, even days. Of necessity, you and your neighbors become the first responders to your emergencies.

Preparing your neighborhood is vital. Neighbors that are prepared are more effective in their response to a disaster and have an increased capacity to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours after a disaster. Neighborhoods that are prepared for emergencies and disaster situations save lives, reduce the severity of injuries and trauma, and reduce property damage. In addition, working together as a team and contributing as an individual develops stronger communities.

There will be a FREE Map Your Neighborhood class offered on March 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the LifeWorks Building at 906 New York Avenue in Longview. You will receive all the information and materials to help get your neighborhood prepared for a disaster. Participants will learn:

* The 9 steps to take immediately following a disaster
* How to develop invitations and an agenda for a neighborhood meeting
* How to develop a neighborhood skills and equipment inventory
* How to map your neighborhood and identify areas of concern
* Plus much, much more!

To take advantage of this FREE learning opportunity, please email DEM@co.cowlitz.wa.us or call Jennifer at 577-3130.