In an emergency,  the best help is always your neighbors. Besides preparing your family for emergencies, you need to work with your neighbors to prepare to help each other as a group.   On these and related pages we'll help you help your neighborhood prepare for all kinds of  disasters.    We've found over time that the South Skyline area naturally divides by geography and self-selection into a loose collection of neighborhoods. Here's an easy guide to organizing your neighborhood, read this first! 

​

For our purposes, “neighborhood” is defined as: ​Groups of homes and residents that are in close proximity to each other or are characterized by other factors that lead to a formation of a “local group”.  SSEPO has been working with residents in each of the neighborhoods to locate “Neighborhood Coordinators” (NC) within the defined South Skyline Neighborhoods.  SSEPO provides training to the NC’s to work with members of their own community to develop an emergency preparedness plan tailored to their neighborhood.


All neighborhood organization is local and according to the needs and wishes of the neighborhood.

Typically a neighborhood will have (but this can vary)

  • A private directory of the residents (google doc) See Neighborhood Directory
  • An email list of the residents (google groups or groups.io)  See Neighborhood Communications
  • A WhatsApp group, text list, or phone tree for contacting neighbors. 
  • Low-power radio: Possibly GMRS or MURS radios for the neighborhood. GMRS is useful because it's cheap, doesn't require a ham license, and SSEPO has set up repeaters making it work across the region.
  • Neighborhood drills. 

During an actual emergency the email list, different flavors of texting, and GRMS will often be the primary means of contact/discussion. 


The NC provides, among other services, the following to their neighborhood:

  • Helps organize emergency communication channels, processes and procedures

  • Works with neighbors to develop emergency preparedness procedures appropriate to their community

  • Keeps neighbors up-to-date with training opportunities (local CERT classes, Red Cross training, local Ham Radio training, local exercises and drills)

  • Interfaces with the SSEPO Board and provides updated support requirements and needs from residents

  • Stays aware of local emergency equipment grants and funding opportunities for neighborhood equipment.  Select SSEPO Grant Policy for info on how a neighborhood, or organization, can obtain a SSEPO grant.

  • Supports neighborhood awareness of local emergency triage centers​​

  • Helps organize neighborhood involvement in fuel reduction projects in the neighborhood

  • Support progress on the GIS Mapping project to ensure that the fire department has up to date maps. ​

​Neighborhoods