Emergency Preparedness

Summary

Emergency Preparedness is ...

1. Being Self-sufficient

2. Neighbors Helping Neighbors and Neighborhoods Helping Neighborhoods

City, State, and Federal officials warn us often that in the event of a serious emergency it will be impossible for first responders to deal with the number of requests for help and assistance they receive. Many neighborhoods within an affected area may not see help for several days or maybe even a week. We will be the first responders for our own family, then for our neighbors.

Sometimes we just think ... well, the power is out so I will go somewhere else. That may be realistic for a localize power outage. But as many people in many parts of the United States have discovered in the past few years, if the emergency is widespread enough there is no place to go. Roads often become impassible. Businesses and stores of all types, including gas stations, can not open and do business without electricity. Being truly prepared means being able to live somewhat comfortably in your home for several days without utilities.

But many emergencies may only affect us and our household. For example, what if our water heater begins to leak and floods our basement? Or, what if our furnace fails during a blizzard on a cold night in January? Can we stay warm?

1 - Being Self-sufficient

Instead of always saying "Emergency Preparedness" what if we just said "Preparedness"? Being prepared is being self-sufficient. Not having to rely on someone else to help us in a difficult situation is very comforting. Having some basic tools, equipment, and skills, plus some basic knowledge about first aid can get us through many tough situations until more skilled or professional help is available.

An Example: Suppose you are an elderly person who relies on a constant flow of oxygen generated from a portable device, not from a tank. Electricity is needed to keep the oxygen flowing. In a power outage, a prepared household would have a portable battery generator capable of powering the oxygen device for several hours. This would give the family enough time to figure out how to deal with the situation without panicing.

An Example: Suppose you have small children and there is a water main break that affects your street. Do you have enough water stored to meet your families needs for 4 - 6 hours? Or would you need to vacate your home or seek help from a neighbor?

2 - Helping Our Neighbors

We first need to deal with our own and our family's safety and wellbeing before anything else. Once our own household is safe, we can - and should - see how we can help our neighbors. Just be a good neighbor. Wouldn't we want the same from them if we were in need? Remember, in really bad situations, we - you and me - may very well be the first responders. And our neighbors may very well be our first responders.

Living in Cottonwood Heights City we are part of an above average city-wide Emergency Preparedness program. Soon after the city was founded, the geography of the city was divided into Districts, Precincts, and Blocks. The city and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agreed that District boundaries would be existing Stake boundaries, and Precinct boundaries would be existing Ward boundaries. The city then divided each Precinct/Ward into Blocks, with each Block containing 6-12 houses/addresses. The idea behind this structure was to make it easier for "neighbors helping neighbors" and "neighborhoods helping neighborhoods" to communicate localized needs to others more able to help and assist in a given situation. In an emergency, information flows from Block Captains to Precinct Coordinators to District Leaders to the Cottonwood Heights City Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The EOC then determines how to deploy local resources or if escalations are needed to the County or State levels.

So, the Butler Hill Ward is also the Butler Hill Precinct. The Butler Hill Ward/Precinct is in the Cottonwood Heights Utah Butler Stake/District. Each District has a Leader and each Precinct has a Coordinator. And, the goal is to have a Captain for each Block.

There are 467 houses/addresses in the Butler Hill Ward/Precinct that are divided into 47 Blocks. All Block Captains, Precinct Coordinators, and District Leaders are volunteers. 

• Butler Hill Ward/Precinct Coordinator: Anthony Schoenfeld (801-520-6079) - Contact Anthony if you do not know your Block Number and Block Captain

• Cottonwood Heights Utah Butler Stake/District Leader: Liz Maravilla (303-903-9957)

• Cottonwood Heights City EOC Manager: Sargent Lance Bess (801-944-7046)

Click or Touch HERE to go to the Cottonwood Heights City Emergency Preparedness webpage.