Preparing for Emergencies

In a disaster, local officials and relief workers cannot reach everyone immediately; help may not arrive for hours or days. You and your family — and don’t forget to include the needs of those with disabilities — need to be prepared ahead of time because you won’t have time to shop or search for the supplies you will need when a disaster strikes.
Most disasters are natural disasters, the result of some force of nature, such as storms or earthquakes. Some natural disasters can be predicted, such as severe winter storms, while others, such as earthquakes, happen with little or no warning. Some disasters are the cause of human actions, intentional or unintentional.

Regardless of the type of disaster, some straightforward planning and preparation can help with your safety, security, and comfort.

Join the Earthquake Country Alliance for a Safer at Home webinar series

The series is taking place between June 30, 2020, and November 11, 2020. Recordings of webinars that have already occurred are available here.

Social Bridging Project – Disaster Ready Guide

Click image to enlarge.

Learn how to prepare yourself for a disaster with this Disaster Ready Guide, brought to you by the Social Bridging Project from Santa Clara County, in partnership with Listos California. The Social Bridging Project provides support services and resources, such as food, housing, and healthcare, to adults age 60 and older living in Santa Clara County and runs from July 20, 2020, through November 30, 2020. Volunteers will conduct wellness calls and disaster preparedness calls to registered voters in Santa Clara County.

The Social Bridging Project was developed in concert with Listos California, an emergency preparedness campaign spearheaded by Governor Gavin Newsome, and the California Office of Emergency Services.

Refresh and Strengthen Your First Aid and Response Skills

Watching a video is not a substitute for hands-on training, but you can build on and retain your skills until in-person classes become available again. Click here for a series of videos.

Stay informed during an emergency by signing up for AlertSCC.

Click image to enlarge.

Personal Emergency Preparedness Training

When disaster strikes, there may be a significant length of time before emergency medical, police, and fire arrive in your neighborhood. The purpose of Personal Emergency Preparedness training is to inform and prepare individuals to be self-sufficient for several days after an area-wide emergency. The District, in concert with the County Fire Department, presents courses to assist individuals and families to plan and be prepared in event of an emergency or disaster. The Personal Emergency Preparedness course is a 3-hour class designed for families to be able to survive the first 72 hours of a disaster.

Santa Clara County Fire Department – Ready, Set, Go!

Ready, Set, Go! is an emergency preparedness program from the Santa Clara County Fire Department, which focuses on preparing your home, yourself, and your family for wildfires, providing steps to follow if evacuation becomes necessary, and what to do if you become trapped.

GET READY:

Learn how to maintain adequate defensible space and harden your home by using appropriate spacing, fire-safe landscaping, and fire-resistant materials.

Click image to enlarge. Click image to enlarge.

GET SET:

Prepare yourself and your home for the possibility of having to evacuate: Create a Wildfire Action Plan, assemble an emergency supply kit, and protect what is important to you.

Click image to enlarge. Click image to enlarge.

GO!:

Give your household the best chance of surviving a wildfire by being ready to go and evacuation early. Review pre-evacuation steps, take immediate action when wildfire strikes, and learn what to do if you become trapped.

Click image to enlarge.