Beginning in late March, 2006, RSVP certified volunteer instructors began teaching on-going Neighborhood Emergency Training (NET) classes to Sacramento seniors. The NET course provides a checklist of things to do to prepare any home for an emergency. Attendees are given information on creating a home disaster supply kit and the kinds of things they will need to have ready if asked to evacuate their home. The classes also provide ideas about creating a family plan so everyone in the family knows how to keep in touch and tips about caring for children and pets during an emergency.
According to the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency website, Sacramento's risk of flooding is the greatest of any major city in the country. The tragic events in New Orleans have made it clear that people fare much better during an emergency when they have prepared ahead of time. "While training resources are readily available for most people, opportunities for isolated seniors to learn how to be prepared are limited. The core goal of this project is to fill this gap in service.
Additional features the project include working with InfoLine Sacramento to develop and maintain a database of contact information for isolated seniors living in the Sacramento region and participation by all project members in setting up and operating an Emergency Volunteer Center (EVC) to organize spontaneous volunteers during a disaster.
A Program of National Significance grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service is funding the project. They currently have 13 certified instructors trained by the County Sherriff’s office.
