Make a Plan: Community

The Point

Be Ready Utah encourages community-based organizations to create emergency preparedness plans for the hazards and threats they may face. Emergency plans should be created by each of the various segments of a community including families, schools, businesses, and governments. When each segment of a community has emergency plans in place, the community as a whole will be better off when facing a disaster.

Do This

Create an emergency plan for your organization that addresses the specific hazards you face. Your emergency plan should include

  • specific protective actions to take to survive those hazards
  • your organization chain of command and contacts
  • staging areas or meeting places and communications methods
  • the location of your emergency food, water, and first aid supplies and other resources

Use the Community Preparedness Guide to help you write your community plan.

Make a Plan: Community

As a whole, communities can be better prepared for emergencies and disasters when the various segments of that community have disaster plans in place. Individuals and families, businesses, schools, and local governments should make it their responsibility to identify the hazards they face and write emergency plans addressing those hazards and risks. Communication, collaboration, and cooperation between those segments of the community during the planning process will ensure a whole-community approach to emergency response and recovery.

Some communities like to survey their neighborhood for skills and supplies. The problem with these surveys is keeping it current, but the info may still be useful. Here are some Neighborhood Surveys that may help:

Get involved with your local Citizen Corps Council/Whole Community Preparedness Coalition, which makes plans for the community. Visit the Get Involved page to find additional programs you would like to get involved with and discover ways to help that program plan with the rest of the community.

Know your local Emergency Management Plans. Contact your local Emergency Manager to find out what the municipal plans are and align you neighborhood or organization plans with them.

Toolkit: Building a Whole Community Preparedness Coalition

It takes involving the whole community for a community to be prepared. Here are the tools to do it.


Whole Community Coalition Toolbox
Whole Community Coalition Webpage
 

Private Sector Preparedness Council

A Private Sector Preparedness Council (PSPC) helps connect the community's private sector to emergency preparedness principles and practices.


Private Sector Preparedness Councils
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Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster (VOAD)

VOAD is a coalition of non-profit non-government organizations that help in disasters. Work with Utah VOAD to organize a community VOAD. Also see National VOAD.

Utah VOAD
 

Community Emergency Response Team

CERT training empowers your community to organize and safely respond to disasters. See the CERT Website to learn more about CERT.


Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
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Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch Training empowers community members to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement. The Neighborhood Watch Toolkit may provide valuable information to help you in your efforts. Also see the National Neighborhood Watch page


Neighborhood Watch Toolkit
 
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Neighborhood Rapid Disaster Assessment Toolkit

This is an alternative solution to the Block Captain Program. This allows anyone to fill a role and perform the task of assessing your community post disaster.


Neighborhood Rapid Disaster Assessment Toolkit

Community Animal Response Team (CART)

CART empowers community planning and response for animal related issues. CART is supported by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food which provides tools for local implementation. 


Community Animal Response Team (CART)
 

Organizations Preparing for Emergency Needs (O.P.E.N.) Training

OPEN teaches 10 preparedness actions to help your organization remain OPEN. OPEN includes both a web-based, self-guided training, and a downloadable instructor kit that will guide participants on how to identify risks, locate resources, and take preparedness actions. 


OPEN Training
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12 Areas of Preparedness
Utah Hazards

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Make a Plan by Audience