August 2020 – Mt. Washington Jessica Neighborhood

13th Annual Valley Disaster Fair 10/10/20

This year the event started by the late great Bill Hopkins will be a Live Virtual Event! Held on valleydisasterfair.com. Registration is required and a limited number of advance registrants will be eligible to win a disaster kit. Hear special guest speakers and see safety demonstrations. Featuring all kinds of Emergency and First Aid Info including Pet Preparedness. And, it’s all free!

Starter Disaster Kits – photo by Bernard Falkin

The free annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair, largest of its kind in Los Angeles, is managed and produced by the Foundation as a whole community event to help bring information, knowledge, and awareness to being better prepared for large-scale emergencies and disasters. The 13th annual Fair will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2020 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Northridge Fashion Center’s Pacific Theaters parking lot (9400 Shirley Ave.). Each year, 1,950 substantial Family Emergency Preparedness (EP) Starter Kits are distributed free to attending registered families. For more information about the Fair, including a 15-minute video, visit www.ValleyDisasterFair.com.

Bill Hopkins was the President, Director, and Founder of the Southern California Preparedness Foundation, which hosts this event and was a strong supporter of disaster and emergency preparedness. He served as a community-elected member of the Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council (GHNNC), founded and chaired the GHNNC Emergency Preparedness Committee, and was Vice-Chair of its Public Safety Committee. Bill was the principal key to the success of previous annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fairs.

Download the flyer

Save the Date: The Great California Shakeout 10/15/20

This year we are actively participating in the Great California Shakeout. In the era of Coronavirus, practicing at home is the most practical.

On October 15, 2020 at 10:15am we will all Drop Cover and Hold on. After 60 seconds, we will all practice our Map Your Neighborhood 9 Steps (the first 6 steps that we do at home). In lieu of step 7 which would have us all go to our Neighborhood Gathering Sites, we will instead get on our walkie -talkies and tune in to channel 5 for a neighborhood roll call. We will conclude with a discussion of the Shakeout Drill and what we learned.

FROM THE GREAT SHAKEOUT WEBSITE

Drop, Cover, and Hold On: Have your members Drop to the ground, take Cover under a table or desk, and Hold On to it as if a major earthquake were happening (stay down for at least 60 seconds). Practice now so you will immediately protect yourself during earthquakes! (See this page for what to do if in bed, outside, driving, in a tall building, or other situations.) For people with disabilities or access and functional needs, download our preparedness guide (661 KB) PDF.

While still under the table, or wherever you are, look around and imagine what would happen in a major earthquake. What would fall on you or others? What would be damaged? What would life be like after? What will you do before the actual earthquake happens to reduce losses and quickly recover?

Practice what you will do after the shaking stops.

After your drill is complete, have discussions about what was learned and incorporate these lessons into your disaster plan.

Remember: this is a good opportunity to think about securing items in your home that could fall and injure someone in an earthquake. Also a good time to check your disaster kits and restock as necessary.