Hermosans’ readiness for a weather emergency, natural disaster or terrorist attack is largely the same as it was in 2009, according to survey findings announced by city commissioners.
The city’s collective level of preparedness continues to be 4 out of a possible 10, representing no change from 2009, but an improvement from a 3.2 score in July 2008, according to the results announced by Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission members Tracy Hopkins, Ken Hartley and Carol Russell.
The survey was conducted March through April 2011.
Hermosans’ collective score was just below the 2008 national average of 4.1 for the survey, which uses questions from American Red Cross that are available to other communities as well.
Breaking down the local results, members of Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch scored 4.9 while non-Neighborhood Watch Hermosans scored 3.4.
Among the attributes of respondents, preparing a disaster kit continued to yield the highest number with 53 percent in 2009 and 50 percent in 2011.
Among the findings of the survey:
— Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they know how to find the emergency broadcasting channel on the radio, down 5 percent from 2009.
— Sixty-six percent said their local government has an emergency plan, up from 61 percent in 2009 and 40 percent in 2008.
— Thirty percent of respondents have established a specific family meeting place in case it is not possible to return to the home, up 3 percent from 2009 and 14 percent from 2008.
— Forty-one percent of respondents are CPR trained, up 3 percent from 2009.
— For those who participated in the 2010 “ShakeOut Drill” for earthquake preparedness, the media campaign had motivated 78 percent to be better prepared.
“More work still needs to be done to encourage residents to take more of the recommended actions to be prepared,” the commissioners said in a prepared statement.
They suggested a 10-point plan:
1. Knowing if your local government has a disaster plan.
2. Knowing how to find an emergency broadcast channel on the radio. (This is any news station that reports on local breaking news events).
3. Hearing a preparedness message in the last 30 days that encouraged your family to take steps to be prepared for emergency situations in your community.
4. Having prepared a disaster supply kit with emergency supplies like water, food and medicine kept in your home.
5. Having a small kit with supplies that you keep at home, in your car and at work that you can take with you if you have to leave quickly.
6. Having a plan for how your family would communicate if separated (for instance, having an out-of- state contact).
7. Establishing a meeting place to reunite if you are unable to return to your home or are evacuated.
8. Having planned or drilled what to do in an emergency at home.
9. Having volunteered to help prepare for or respond to a major emergency.
10. Having taken first-aid training such as CPR in the past five years.
The full survey report can found at the Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch website saferhermosabeach.com. Emergency readiness information can be found at www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady. ER
