Be prepared, when disaster hits home

Lauren Vane

Some concerned locals are taking steps to grab the community’s

attention and ensure that Laguna Beach citizens are prepared in the

event of an emergency.

Members of the Disaster Preparedness Committee want to find out

how many citizens would be equipped to handle a disaster situation,

should it occur.

During the months of May and June, the committee will send out

8,500 disaster preparedness surveys as inserts in city water bills.

The survey responses will be a jumping-off point for what action the

committee will take next on pushing the awareness of disaster

preparedness.

The committee is a privately funded group made up of a variety of

community representatives. The committee’s volunteer members have

resources and preparedness kits available for the public, said

committee member Jason Paransky.

“The real importance as far as we’re concerned is to just make

people somehow notice that they probably aren’t adequately prepared,

that it’s not difficult to be prepared, that we have all the tools

and resources to be prepared and that it’s necessary,” Paransky said.

Disasters happen. Everyone in the community needs to have a plan

when they do, said committee member Debi Cortez. Let’s imagine, for

example, that a mother is outside the city when disaster strikes, and

her children are at home. What is her plan in reaching her family?

Cortez said that is what being prepared is all about.

The survey will ask three questions of residents: are you prepared

to last three days in your home; are you willing to spread the word

about disaster preparedness in your community; are you interested in

learning more about disaster preparedness.

The survey card also refers to the city’s website, which offers

more tips on how to prepare for a disaster, Walloch said.

Laguna can present an illusion to those who live here, when it

comes to imagining the need for disaster preparedness, said Coleen

Walloch, the police department Community Watch coordinator, who acts

as a liaison between the police and the committee.

“I think that we have a false sense of security in our city

because we live in a very safe town and we’re not a target for

terrorist activities,” Walloch said.

The committee is hopeful the survey will get people to educate

themselves and others about disasters. Natural or not, they can

happen in Laguna, Paransky said.

“This fragile community in this fragile ecology is not anywhere

near prepared for any number of natural disasters that could befall

us,” Paransky said.

As the survey cards go out with the water bills, committee members

encourage everyone to complete and return them.

“Even if we only reach 10% of our population, that’s 10% more that

is reached,” Cortez said.

In addition to completing the survey and returning it by mail, it

can also be filled out online at: www.lagunabeachcity.net/

survey.htm.