Disasters In Oakland
Twenty-five years ago, the Oakland Hills Firestorm ripped through over 3,000 homes and killed 25 people. Twenty-seven years ago, the Loma Prieta earthquake killed over 60 people with countless homes destroyed. These disasters can and will most likely strike again, and in fact the nearby Hayward Fault is overdue .
Are you prepared to survive such a disaster? Road closures are common after natural disasters, as are power outages and cell tower disruption. You may not be able to leave the neighborhood. Ask yourself; “What will you do when the next disaster strikes?” Without internet, telephone or electricity, which neighbor will you ask for help? How will you provide that assistance?
The Montclair Neighborhood Council works with local Montclair Organized Neighborhoods (MONs) groups and the Oakland Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies CORE program in order to establish emergency preparedness knowledge and disaster response expertise within the Montclair community.
The Montclair Neighborhood Council’s objectives for emergency preparedness:
- Help neighborhood groups in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from wildfires, earthquakes, mudslides or other disasters in the Montclair area.
- Help neighborhood groups in the Montclair area have as many residents as possible trained in CORE (up to the CORE III level).
- Help neighborhood groups build and manage their Neighborhood Command Center (NCC) – a central neighborhood gathering place stocked with emergency and first aid supplies.
- Help with establishing and testing Montclair area emergency communication plans, including using 2-way radios and other means of communicating during a disaster.
- Organize and promote emergency exercises in the Montclair area in conjunction with the annual CORE Citywide Disaster Exercise.
- Provide information related to emergency preparedness and disaster planning, such as guides on home retrofitting, gas shut-off valves, emergency power generation, etc.
For more information on how you can better prepare for an emergency, please contact the Montclair Neighborhood Council. We are here to help you in any way possible, so that you can be better able to assist yourself and your neighbors in the event of a disaster.
Montclair Organized Neighborhoods
Organized neighborhoods are the foundation for addressing local safety and improvement issues. Neighbors may organize to address crime or traffic issues on their street, or to prepare for an earthquake or other natural disaster. Some organize to improve the appearance of their neighborhood, and some just to socialize and to know who their neighbors are. Ideally neighbors organize for all these reasons and more! Organized neighborhoods can help bring about a stronger sense of community and belonging–things that are often missing with our modern lifestyles.
The Montclair Neighborhood Council has coined the term Montclair Organized Neighborhood (MON) for any organized neighborhood in our Montclair area. There are currently over 40 active MONs and we are working toward 100% coverage. Each of these MONs has one or more MON Leaders (Block Captains) who are responsible for organizing regular meetings, local training such as from CORE and Neighborhood Watch, emergency exercise participation, social events, etc. These meetings are a great way to get to know your neighbors.
The Montclair Neighborhood Council is also working with Nextdoor to ensure that all neighborhoods are covered and can communicate on this social neighborhood site.
For more information on how you can begin to organize your neighborhood, please contact the Montclair Neighborhood Council. Montclair Neighborhood Council representatives can come to your neighborhood meetings to present their ideas and tips for success.
You may also download the MON Leader’s Guide, created by the Montclair Neighborhood Council and the Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association, for guidance. This document describes basic recommended steps to organize a new neighborhood group, gives tips for maintaining a group, outlines Neighborhood Watch and CORE training, and provides information on the specific duties of a MON Leader.
The Montclair Neighborhood Council has additional documents and Web sites that contain useful guides and tips around organizing, emergency preparedness, etc. We are here to help you in any way possible.