Delta police are holding a seminar next week to help local residents make sure they are prepared for an emergency.
On Monday, the police, in cooperation with the Delta fire department and the Corporation of Delta, are offering a free seminar on the Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP).
The first stage of the program is aimed at helping residents make sure their family is prepared to weather the first 72 hours following a disaster such as an earthquake.
That is when emergency responders will be overwhelmed and only able to deal with the more critical situations. Many residents will be left to fend for themselves.
The second stage of NEPP focuses on how, in cooperation with neighbours, residents can work as a team to mitigate the threat of disaster and increase everyone's ability to respond.
The program was launched in California and has worked its way north into Canada.
Delta police launched the program as a pilot project in South Delta a few years ago.
The guest speaker at Monday's seminar is earthquake expert Dr. John Cassidy, a research scientist with the National Research Council - Geologoical Survey of Canada.
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," said A/Sgt.
Paul Eisenzimmer of the department's community policing branch.
Tsawwassen resident and NEPP team member Elsa Carvajal knows what it's like to face a natural disaster without a plan.
She was in Mexico City in 1995 when a major earthquake struck.
"My community was not ready, my famiily was not ready," she said, adding her family had no water or other necessities set aside and were without power for two weeks.
"We didn't have any resources at all," Carvajal said.
She said she remembers feeling helpless.
Now the property manager at Windsor Woods in Tsawwassen, Carvajal said the building already had an emergency response team in place but NEPP has helped it become more organized.
Once a neighbourhood has established a team, there are several training sessions available covering everything from leadership and damage assessment to first aid and search and rescue.
Monday's seminar starts at 7 p.m. at the Tsawwassen First Nation recreation centre, 1929 Tsawwassen Dr.
Everyone is welcome and there will be refreshments and door prizes. Registration is recommended but not required.
For more information, or to register, contact your local community police station at 604-940-4411 in Ladner or 604-948-0199 in Tsawwassen.
