Disaster planning in Shoreline

The Shoreline 2013 CERT
If there's a disaster, hope one of them lives on your street
Photo courtesy City of Shoreline

By Patrick Ducey

The earth has just stopped shaking, and it was a big one. The power is out. Your phone doesn’t work. The internet won’t respond. There is damage all around, and many people are possibly injured. Sound farfetched? Sound like a disaster movie? It could be something that happens in our future.

There are many earthquake fault lines in the Pacific Northwest, some of which have the potential to cause devastating earthquakes like the one that struck Christchurch, New Zealand or cause tsunamis like the one that struck Japan. Every resident who makes their home in this region should have a plan to prepare for disasters like these and others.

The City of Shoreline has a plan. The first thing emergency responders do after a disaster is to perform a damage assessment of the entire city. They won’t stop and help; they won’t answer calls while they survey the city. After the assessment, they will respond first to high priority emergencies. City emergency planners realize that some parts of the city may not see help for days.  The city has a plan for that, too. Part of the plan is to train community members in emergency response.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a national program that helps prepare citizens to assist their neighbors when a disaster has overwhelmed emergency services. CERT members are trained in fire fighting, first aid, urban search and rescue, and being part of an overall disaster recovery team. The training is free, sponsored by the City of Shoreline and the Shoreline Fire Department.

Shoreline CERT proudly announces the completion of our latest CERT class. More of your neighbors have a plan for what to do after the earth stops shaking. For more information on joining our team, contact the Shoreline Emergency Management Office.