Neighborhood Leaders & Ambassadors

It’s neighbors that count during emergencies. When disaster strikes, “46% percent of individuals expect to rely a great deal on people in their neighborhood for assistance within the first 72 hours after a disaster”. (Source: ready.gov.) So, get connected! Get to know them and how you can help each other during a wildfire. Here are a few programs to help you get organized and collectively take action.

Here are a few programs to get you started.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Organizing Your Neighborhood

Neighborhood Volunteer Response

Become involved in the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” leadership and training program to prepare for disaster.

Start a Map Your Neighborhood program to help enhance neighborhood communications, improve disaster readiness, and prepare to help each other before emergency responders arrive.

Volunteer for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to receive disaster preparedness training in your area.

Get involved before a disaster occurs. (Ready.gov)

Coordinate a neighborhood plan of action to remove vegetation and harden homes through Firewise USA® recognition program. (NFPA)

Join a Citizen Corps program to help build capacity for first responders.

FACILITATION AND TRAINING TOOLKITS

If you are working with neighbors to prepare for or recovery from wildfire – we have developed facilitation toolkits in English and Spanish to help you get started.

The toolkits are a collection of editable resources. Each toolkit contains a 3-part video series, presentation template with facilitator’s notes and talking points, and sample meeting/workshop agenda, including links to additional resources.

Remember, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to preparedness, response, and recovery – and so the toolkits do not include a comprehensive set of actions to prepare your community for wildfire but will help to start the community on your journey to better live with wildfire.

When utilizing these toolkits, we encourage you to collaborate with local partners to facilitate community conversations and adopt a set of actions unique to your community.

Please feel free to download, use, and adapt the resources to fit your needs.

Before the Fire

FIRE ADAPTED LANDSCAPES

FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES

PREPARING FOR EVACUATION

SMOKE-READY COMMUNITIES

PREPARING YOUR HOME AND LANDSCAPE

During the Fire

After the Fire: Community recovery is led by local leaders and done at the local level!

A MUST READ: Joplin Pays it Forward – Leaders Share Recovery Lessons Learned

Develop a Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) before a disaster strikes so that you are ready to provide assistance to disaster victims.

This Resident Recovery Workbook can be used to facilitate pre-planning for recovery workshops with residents.

This Resident Recovery Workbook can to prepare for recovery or initiate the post-fire recovery process. The videos below will help guide you in completing the worksheets in the workbook.