More than 30 people crowded into the loft space above the Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream & Tea Room for the inaugural meeting of Capitol Hill Preparedness People, eager to discuss ways to ensure safety in the neighborhood in case of any large-scale disaster. Emotions and concerns were high as attendees recalled living through past earthquakes and natural catastrophes. The tragedy in Haiti, of course, was not far from anyone’s mind.

Leading the discussion was Angela Wallis, a local resident and community organizer. She has been advocating CHiPP across the Internet with poster/ad donations from Seattle Gay News.

Safety preparedness on Capitol Hill is critical, said Angela, because we live in a city full of old buildings, many of which are not earthquake-proof. As Seattle’s densest neighborhood, there are a lack of emergency resources at the state and retail level. Grocery stores, she noted, only carry about 3 days worth of supplies at any given time. Self-sufficiency helps preserve limited resources, which can make a difference on even on the most minor levels.

Some key thoughts from the meeting:

• Prepare yourself and your family. Every member of the family should have a “go kit” with 3 days worth of food and water, medications, a change of clothes and durable shoes. Don’t forget to pack supplies for pets, too.
• Create a personal plan. Set aside some emergency cash. Know your closest emergency shelter. (For Capitol Hill residents, that could mean places like Miller Community Center, Garfield High School or the Capitol Hill Library. These places are not confirmed emergency shelters, but places mentioned in the meeting). Determine and document your personal emergency contacts.
• Get trained. Take a first aide class at the Red Cross or any other certified location. The Seattle Red Cross, located on 25th Ave. South and S. Holgate Street in SoDo, offer a number of certification classes, just check their web site for times and more information.

Angela encouraged the people present to offer their own experiences and training to the community. Part of CHiPP’s goal is to create a detailed list of community members willing to step up and become leaders in search and rescue or medical efforts, if ever called upon.

Angela and other community leaders handed out some pretty cool goody bags that included a keyring whistle and flashlight, an information packet on the 3 Days 3 Ways program, a disaster preparedness calendar, King County’s flu prevention and planning guide, pamphlets on earthquake safety and building family disaster kits and the King County/ WA State Dept. of Health Emergency Resource Guide.

The next CHiPP meeting, which will include more in-depth conversations about training and certifications, will be February 11 at a location to be determined. (Bluebird Ice Cream was a bit squished). They’ll also be focusing more on individual resources and experience and hope to identify more community leaders. If interested, contact Angela Wallis on Facebook, Twitter or email her at [email protected].

If you attended the meeting, what did you think?