To avoid or overcome disaster situations, communities need to be resilient. People should be able to access and use resources to prevent or deal with various risks. However, these actions cannot be completed if individuals in the community do not know what to do or whom to contact for assistance.
For this reason, preparedness is a vital component of community resilience. As citizens and family members develop support networks, create plans for different emergencies, and engage with each other in learning about available sources and materials, they contribute to the sustainment of their local groups (Cuervo, Leopold, & Baron, 2017). People can engage in a variety of activities to reach a high level of community preparedness.
One of the primary aims of preparation activities is to build robust channels of communication. For example, individuals can arrange town hall or faith organization meetings to discuss approaches to disaster preparation with the community (Ready, n.d.). Such events do not only provide persons with information about potential solutions for disasters but also contribute to the interaction between community members and their readiness to collaborate under challenging situations. Developed channels of communication can contribute to the state and federal levels of preparedness since people will be aware of the main ways of contacting authorities and asking governmental sources for support.
The second example of taking action on a community level is teaching how to prepare materials for different types of disasters. These resources may include emergency kits with water, non-perishable food, a map, phone chargers, and other vital materials (The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015).
The dissemination of this information can positively affect the process of evacuation presented by state and government programs. In these cases, training is essential since it allows people to remember the main steps that they should take in case of a disaster (Ready, n.d.). By repeating the same steps or going through drills, members become more confident in their abilities. As a result, their improved preparedness contributes to the community’s overall resilience.
References
Cuervo, I., Leopold, L., & Baron, S. (2017). Promoting community preparedness and resilience: A Latino immigrant community-driven project following Hurricane Sandy. American Journal of Public Health, 107(S2), S161-S164.
Ready. (n.d.). Community preparedness toolkit. Web.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Community resilience. Web.