Map Your Neighbourhood

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Map Your Neighbourhood teaches 9 important steps to follow immediately after a disaster, first to secure your home, and then to help your neighbourhood.

It creates a neighbourhood map identifying locations of gas meters, propane tanks, and other hazards, as well as a list of all residents, particularly those likely to need help. It identifies those with skills (e.g. medical, ham radio, machinery operators) or equipment (e.g. chain saws, generators, winches) that might help in an emergency.

The neighbourhood chooses a neighbourhood care center for children and elderly so they are not alone, and a gathering spot for those willing to check on other houses. Map Your Neighbourhood teaches a team approach to neighbourhood response, including communications and staying safe while helping (team is everything in disaster response).

ANYONE CAN DO THIS – INCLUDING YOU!

The best news – Map Your Neighbourhood takes only one 90 minute neighbourhood meeting, and costs nothing (except maybe cookies at the meeting)! Neighbourhood watch programs are a good place to start this program, but even if your neighbourhood is completely disconnected, it is still easy to do Map Your Neighbourhood. The key is a little work and personal outreach before the meeting, and leadership at the meeting (and maybe afterwards) for seeing the process through. Who should the leader be? HOW ABOUT YOU? Most people are afraid to “take charge” but this is the time to step up.

A “neighbourhood” is usually 15-25 “houses”. After a disaster, there is a golden hour when rescue is most effective. Base the number of residences in your program on how many can be checked in one hour, given the distance between. Defining house and neighbourhood is also very liberal. One or two floors of an apartment building can be a neighbourhood, as can 10 widely spread rural properties.

Scroll down to bottom of page to see a Sample MYN Meeting Invitation

You can watch all 11 Map Your Neighbourhood (YouTube) videos here.

These videos guide you through your Map Your Neighbourhood Meeting. Most videos are short (from 2-5 minutes). Watch the videos in order and pause to follow the instructions given at the end of each video. The third video, 9 Steps Immediately Following a Disaster, runs for 25 minutes. This video is very important because it explains the steps to take in the first 60 minutes (or golden hour) after a disaster.

Section 1: Opening, Introduction and Welcome


Section 2: Assumptions and Boundaries


Segment 3 part 1


Segment 3 part 2


Segment 4: Gathering site


Section 5: Care centre


Section 6: Neighbourhood Skills and Equipment


Section 7: Neighbourhood Map


Section 8: Contact List


Segment 9


Segment 10


Section 11: Next Steps


Sample Invitation – Map Your Neighbourhood Meeting

The reality is – neighbourhoods may need to respond to fire, injuries, and leaking natural gas during disaster.
This meeting will help us know to prepare. Please come.

现实的情况是居民区可能需要应对火灾,受伤,灾难和天然气泄漏。本次会议将有助于我们知道如何处理。请参与这会议。

What is a disaster?
什么是灾难?

• Disasters, by definition, are events that overwhelm police, fire, and medical 911 emergency responders.
• 灾害,顾名思义,是压倒警察,消防和医疗911紧急救援人员的事件。

Why MYN?

• MYN helps us organize a timely response to disaster when 911 is unavailable. All of us, working together, can reduce the serious consequences of disaster in our neighbourhood.
• 当911是不可用时,MYN有助于我们及时组织了应对灾害。我们所有的人一起工作,可以减少在我们家附近灾难的严重后果。

What will we do?
我们将做什么?

• We will learn a 9-step Neighbourhood Response Plan that immediately helps us know what to do – both at home and in the neighbourhood – to respond to injuries, leaking natural gas, and assisting people who may be alone and frightened. The process is proven, fun, and easy.
• 我们将学习9步邻里应急计划,立即帮助我们知道该怎么做,无论在家里还是在附近,受伤,泄漏的天然气,并协助谁可能是孤独和害怕的人。

• We will identify the skills and equipment each neighbor has that are useful in an effective and timely disaster response.
• 我们将确定每个邻居有效和及时的灾害响应的技能和装备。

• We will map our neighbourhood’s natural gas meters and propane tank locations so we can quickly respond to leaking gas and reduce the threat of fire.
• 我们将会记录附近区内的天然气表和丙烷罐的位置,让我们可以迅速应对泄漏气体和减少火灾的威胁。

• We will all go home with a neighbourhood map, contact list, and skills and equipment inventory.
• 你们可以把周围地图,联系人列表和技能和设备清单带回家


The Map Your Neighbourhood Program (MYN) was developed by LuAn K Johnson, PhD and is used with permission from Washington State Emergency Management. Much of the material on this page comes from the work of Shelia Sund, M.D. and is licensed under A Creative Commons Attribution-NonComerical 3.0 Unported License. We at DEEP thank Dr. Sund for generously sharing her approach to MYN.