Getting Started
1st. Find a Few Neighbor Organizers: To begin a Neighborhood Disaster Response Program, you will need to initiate Phase One, an easy, short-lived task that needs just three to six volunteers. The job for this group is to organize a meeting of all the residents within the boundaries of the defined neighborhood.
2nd. Plan Neighbor Meeting: The group selects a date and time and secures a location for the meeting. Usually towns have public spaces such as Council Chambers or Community Rooms, which can be reserved at no cost. Other groups have this first meeting at a neighbor’s home. The group designs and delivers to each household a flier announcing the meeting, usually about two weeks before the meeting. It also helps to place a-frame sign reminders on streets the week before.
3rd. Conduct Neighborhood Meeting: The Phase One members set up the room and organize clipboards for signing in and volunteering. They should station one member at the door to catch folks as they arrive, to get their names and contact information. Some residents may not volunteer at the meeting but if they care enough to attend they usually can be asked to help at a later date.
4th. Enlist Experienced NRG Organizers to Lead the Meetings: One or two experienced NRG leaders describe the typical Disaster Response Program structure. They explain the concept of “neighbor helping neighbor” and the idea that this is a grassroots effort to build self-reliance. They explain the roles various roles. Here is a Power Point presentation at a recent neighborhood meeting. Members of the Phase One group often offer to be on the Steering Committee and to provide ongoing leadership.
5th. Draw Your NRG Clusters/Blocks: A few long time residents get together to create clusters/blocks in numbers that work for your NRG, the number depending on topography and spread. All homes in a cluster/block should be reasonably easy to monitor.
6th. First Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later, an invitation is sent to all attendees to attend the neighborhood meeting. At this meeting block captains can be designated to clusters/blocks and additional roles can be filled.
7th. Second Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later conduct a Block Captain orientation. Contact the NRG coordinator for assistance.
8th. Third Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later conduct an Incident Command orientation. Contact the NRG coordinator for assistance.
It has been our experience that the Steering Committee should ideally meet monthly for a year, at the end of which they should have a fully formed and equipped team and be ready to conduct a drill.
Go to the Disaster Plan Operating Manual, Appendix IX – SUGGESTED PROCESS FOR STEERING COMMITTEES for further information.
2nd. Plan Neighbor Meeting: The group selects a date and time and secures a location for the meeting. Usually towns have public spaces such as Council Chambers or Community Rooms, which can be reserved at no cost. Other groups have this first meeting at a neighbor’s home. The group designs and delivers to each household a flier announcing the meeting, usually about two weeks before the meeting. It also helps to place a-frame sign reminders on streets the week before.
3rd. Conduct Neighborhood Meeting: The Phase One members set up the room and organize clipboards for signing in and volunteering. They should station one member at the door to catch folks as they arrive, to get their names and contact information. Some residents may not volunteer at the meeting but if they care enough to attend they usually can be asked to help at a later date.
4th. Enlist Experienced NRG Organizers to Lead the Meetings: One or two experienced NRG leaders describe the typical Disaster Response Program structure. They explain the concept of “neighbor helping neighbor” and the idea that this is a grassroots effort to build self-reliance. They explain the roles various roles. Here is a Power Point presentation at a recent neighborhood meeting. Members of the Phase One group often offer to be on the Steering Committee and to provide ongoing leadership.
5th. Draw Your NRG Clusters/Blocks: A few long time residents get together to create clusters/blocks in numbers that work for your NRG, the number depending on topography and spread. All homes in a cluster/block should be reasonably easy to monitor.
6th. First Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later, an invitation is sent to all attendees to attend the neighborhood meeting. At this meeting block captains can be designated to clusters/blocks and additional roles can be filled.
7th. Second Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later conduct a Block Captain orientation. Contact the NRG coordinator for assistance.
8th. Third Steering Committee Meeting. Approximately one month later conduct an Incident Command orientation. Contact the NRG coordinator for assistance.
It has been our experience that the Steering Committee should ideally meet monthly for a year, at the end of which they should have a fully formed and equipped team and be ready to conduct a drill.
Go to the Disaster Plan Operating Manual, Appendix IX – SUGGESTED PROCESS FOR STEERING COMMITTEES for further information.
Organizational and Operational Guidelines
Organization Building: When your neighbors decide to organize, some neighbors form a group of neighbors to meet monthly and keep the tasks moving forward until all residents have been contacted and the steering committee has a good sense of who lives in each house, who can help and who might need help. 1-2 household volunteers step up to be block captains for 10-20 homes.
Steering Committees meet monthly to keep the build out momentum of the NRG forward, which allows any new neighbors to sit in and learn how the NRG is organizing, creating a census of who lives in each household, so no one gets overlooked. Depending on the neighbors' interests groups can work on applying for a Firewise Community recognition; encouraging neighbors to sign up for alerts, have socials to get to know neighbors on your block, recruit neighbors to be part of the active response team. NRGs, program wide, drill 2x a year on Daylight Savings Day in Spring and Autumn.
Block captains visit each household in their block/cluster/zone, tell neighbors about the NRG and how the BC will check in on the neighbors if there is a major shelter-in-place event. BCs share wildfire safety information, how neighbors can share awareness of high risk fire days, and how we should practice safe evacuation routines on such days. BCs share information on how neighbors can take a tour with a Fire Marshal to learn how to harden homes and create defensible or survivable space. The more neighbors who reduce the spread of fire, the safer our community becomes. Once you have surveyed your neighborhood in your NRG boundaries, hopefully you have a good idea of who can help and who will need help.
Steering Committee follows up with any neighbors who want to learn more, invite them to a monthly meeting, and recruit volunteers. Typically, steering committee asks a neighbor if he/she is home when a major earthquake happens, if he/she would be willing to help out and be part of the NRG Response Team. This operational team manages the Neighborhood's response by rallying volunteers with first aid or search and rescue skills (or those willing to take training), have Block Captains survey households in their blocks and report back to the NRG
Block captains visit each household in their block/cluster/zone, tell neighbors about the NRG and how the BC will check in on the neighbors if there is a major shelter-in-place event. BCs share wildfire safety information, how neighbors can share awareness of high risk fire days, and how we should practice safe evacuation routines on such days. BCs share information on how neighbors can take a tour with a Fire Marshal to learn how to harden homes and create defensible or survivable space. The more neighbors who reduce the spread of fire, the safer our community becomes. Once you have surveyed your neighborhood in your NRG boundaries, hopefully you have a good idea of who can help and who will need help.
Steering Committee follows up with any neighbors who want to learn more, invite them to a monthly meeting, and recruit volunteers. Typically, steering committee asks a neighbor if he/she is home when a major earthquake happens, if he/she would be willing to help out and be part of the NRG Response Team. This operational team manages the Neighborhood's response by rallying volunteers with first aid or search and rescue skills (or those willing to take training), have Block Captains survey households in their blocks and report back to the NRG
Operational Organization Chart-The NRG Response Command Team
Level 1- NRG Response Team Organization Chart - Response During a Shelter in Place Event (Earthquake)
Level 4- Sample of full blown NRG Organization Chart-Response During a Shelter in Place Event (Earthquake)
