As a mother of an almost three-year-old son and an active member of the Puget Sound community, I am forever finding myself in need of notifications about what is going on in my region. With autumn now upon us and winter only a few months in the future, having the ability to access the maximum amount of available information about health, safety, weather, travel, road conditions, events, and traffic challenges is important to me.
Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management (http://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management/) serves to prepare our community by minimizing potential dangers and current hazards through training and organized planning. OEM also is responsible for resolving the damage incurred to our region by natural disasters, disease, and/or city-wide events. Seattle’s nationally accredited OEM does this by networking with our neighborhoods, businesses, and local/federal agencies and has proven excellence in emergency preparedness, responsiveness, and recovery.
The Seattle Office of Emergency Management website features a/n:
- series of interactive maps that highlight many of the city’s top hazards
- calendar of local presentations at area libraries on emergency preparedness
- emergency alert and real-time notification subscription system (AlertSeattle)
- hot topics listing, emergency news, preparedness blog, and upcoming events.
In addition to OEM’s hazards map, being able to request community training, and check the neighborlink map, concerned citizens may also access pertinent city of Seattle-based information on:
- earthquake home retrofit classes, preparing for “The Big One”,
- “Stop the Bleed” seminars, disaster skills/basic aid workshops,
- home hazards/plans, and local emergency preparedness.
Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) is a part of OEM and encourages citizens to not only organize their own households, but to also speak to their neighbors about potential regional hazards. It is imperative that communities can work together to make certain a plan is in place ensuring care for everyone in times of emergency or disaster (http://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management/working-together/seattle-neighborhoods-actively-prepare). SNAP also offers online toolkits and customized presentations (such as the one Queen Anne Cooperative Preschool hosted earlier this year). For more information about SNAP, call 206-233-5076 or email them directly (SNAP@seattle.gov).
Additionally, our very own Queen Anne Cooperative Preschool (QACP) is hosting a CPR/First Aid Certification on Saturday, October 22nd, 2016 from 9AM-3PM through “I Know CPR, Inc.” (http://www.iknowcpr.com/) for approximately $50 in our co-op’s main classroom. For more information about this training workshop, please contact: QACP’s Health and Safety Coordinator (per the CPR/First Aid event registration form), your class officers (via our co-op’s google groups) or one of QA Co-op’s Board members (https://queenannecoop.org/about-2/the-board/).
Knowing that I have many local options to educate myself/family, our neighbors, and community helps me feel more secure about my son’s safety in the event of an emergency. Being confident that our region is consistently striving to prepare her citizens also makes it a little easier to relax while also enjoying my child grow up. Since climbing trees (while waving a magic wand fashioned from a stick) tends to be one of my son’s favorite pastimes, I have already registered myself into a handful of basic aid workshops and seminars to grow my safety skill set this autumn/winter season…won’t you join me?
Queen Anne Co-op Preschool 