2.2.3 Block Program Responsibilities – Preparation Phase

Individuals - Preparation

1. Sign up for Pierce County Alert to receive advisory information on an emergency that could impact you.
2. Provide your Block Coordinator with the information needed for making contact with your residence in an emergency.
3. Be prepared with a minimum of 30 days of water, food and medicines and keep your fuel inventories up.
4. Make a plan for contacting and for meeting your family members in an emergency (use the Fox Island Bridge being out of service as your base case)
5. Install a File of Life pocket onto your refrigerator so any emergency response personnel can be aware of important health info on family members. Keep your 'Help/OK' sign readily available, too.
6. Read The Plan, which describes the Fox Island Emergency Response Team’s assistance process in a major emergency. The Plan, updated annually, can be round on ficra.org under Emergency Planning.

Block Coordinator (BC) - Preparation Responsibilities

1. Sign up for Pierce County ALERT and encourage your neighbors so that you are on the list Pierce County will advise by phone, text, e-mail, etc. of an emergency that will impact you.
2. Make a map of our designated neighborhood showing names, addresses, phone numbers, location of vulnerable persons/pets, and location of the communications site. Place that map /data in Section 1, pages 2&3.
3. Make contact with each neighbor explaining your responsibility, and theirs in preparation for, and during, a major emergency. Holding a neighborhood group meeting is a very good way of doing this.
4. Have a battery or crank operated radio and tune in for news updates FM 89.9 & 105.7 (KGHP), or 88.5 (KNKX-NPR), 94.9 (KOUW), 97.3 (KIRO), or 97.7FM, 1000AM (KOMO).
5. Identify neighborhood resources (major tools, trucks, etc.) that may be important in an emergency and locate them on your neighborhood map.
6. Pass along to your neighborhood members the information that the Emergency Preparation Team makes available. Note that you will be keeping neighborhood information confidential to the neighborhood.
7. Prepare others, with binders, to act in your absence.

Area Block Coordinators (DRAFT) - Preparation 

1. Ascertain that the BC understands their role and responsibilities as specified in the Manual
2. Help the BC feel part of the community and be engaged. For example, the ABC could work with the BC to attend any HOA meetings and possibly make a presentation. 
3. Determine if they have contacted their block, distributed forms, and mapped their neighborhood.
4. Forward to BCs relevant communication from IBCCs and Command.
5. During drills, check their ability to participate and evaluate effectiveness.
6. Verify the Block Communication Site has been identified and communicated to the IBCC for use by neighborhood and Emergency Patrol.
7. Encourage neighborhood get-togethers to discuss Emergency preparations and response.
8. Encourage and assist in recruiting if possible.

Island Block Co-Coordinator (DRAFT) - Preparation

1. Keep the Binder/Manual, lists up to date
2. Obtain helpful material to hand out, such as the Bucket List. Make it easy to obtain.
3. Make binder materials and updates easy to access (website idea was well-received) 
4. Figure out how to get the ABCs communicating more with their BC’s
5. Set up a communications tier with the BC system – such as using Signal
6. Serve as a training liaison
7. During drills, support and help the ABC’s evaluate progress, and report to command 
8. Figure out how to make it easier for the ABC’s and the BC’s to help their neighborhoods.
9. Provide feedback to Command on system operations and needs.

Last modified on: 3/25/2024