Get Involved

Get Involved in Preparing Your Neighborhood for Emergencies

After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step: get training in first aid and emergency response and get involved in preparing your community.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Working with neighbors can save lives and property. Meet with your neighbors to plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster until help arrives. If you’re a member of a neighborhood organization, such as a home association or crime watch group, introduce disaster preparedness as a new activity. Know your neighbors’ special skills (e.g., medical, technical) and consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as disabled and elderly persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can’t get home.

Get Training

The American Red Cross offers a wide range of courses and gives people the skills to face emergency situations with confidence. Visit your local American Red Cross chapter website for information on training courses offered. See information on training at American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter.

Volunteer

Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is a collaboration of a diverse group of organizations and citizens trained to meet community needs should a large-scale natural or man-made disaster occur. As a VOAD volunteer, you will get training in disaster response and recovery including safety, mass care, and shelter operations. There is also a full day of standardized American Red Cross training on First Aid, CPR, and automated external defibrillator (AED). To get more information and get involved, call 215-299-4054 or visit the website.

Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal responsibility to be prepared, to get training in first aid and emergency skills, and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and community safety. For more information, visit the Citizens Corps website.