On Thursday night, September 25, I attended a community meeting at the Old Naval Hospital sponsored by the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) to discuss Community Preparedness in the Capitol Hill neighborhoods in the event of a public emergency, which is defined in the D.C Code as “a disaster, catastrophe, or an emergency situation where the health, safety or welfare of persons in the District are threatened.”

This was the first in a series of Community Preparedness meetings that will be held all across the city in the coming months to discuss this topic.  About 20 of our neighbors on Capitol Hill were in attendance.

It is a very informative and useful exercise.  The facilitators go over such topic as what constitutes an emergency, and what steps are prudent to take in preparation, such as knowing designated emergency routes, knowing where the nearest emergency shelters are located, knowing where the nearest medical facilities are located, and what provision to keep on hand in the event of an emergency.  Much of this information can be found on the HSEMA website at www.dccommunitypreparedness.org.

What I found most useful about the meeting, though, was simply getting to know my neighbors, and thinking together with them about what our individual as well as collective priorities should be in the event of a natural or manmade disaster.  We discussed in specific terms how to make sure our elderly or disabled neighbors are accounted for in the event of an emergency, and sharing responsibilities for looking out for one another in such an event.

In a very real sense, I thought, emergency preparedness is a form of community building and community strengthening.  As Chander Jayaraman, one of the coordinators of the Community Form puts it, “Emergency Preparedness and Community Building share many elements in common.”  That can’t be a bad thing, and who knows, it may mean the difference between life and death one day.  I highly recommend everyone participate in one of these Emergency Preparedness sessions if you get a chance.