Red Cross Mapping Program Looks to Improve Disaster Readiness

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter

As community efforts for disaster preparedness ramp up in the wildfire offseason, a new method for neighborhood planning has come to Pacific Palisades by way of the Red Cross “Map Your Neighborhood” project.

Designed to increase disaster readiness by networking with neighbors, the “Map Your Neighborhood” program maps out resources and services available in participants specific neighborhoods.

The nine-step response plan includes the creation of a list of who in the neighborhood has “relevant response skills and equipment,” according to the program’s information sheet.

On Thursday, January 10, Palisadian Cathi Ruddy and Red Cross representative Julie Thomas presented the program to the Pacific Palisades Community Council in hopes of getting the area representatives to take the lead on the project and host neighborhood meetings at their respective homes to get the process started.

“It’s a community-building activity,” Ruddy said. “The Red Cross provides the materials to facilitate the conversation, and we just ask each of you to commit to hosting an event at your home or on your block with 15 to 20 neighbors.”

Ruddy said the program differentiates itself from CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team, in that CERT is designed for individual survival and disaster awareness, whereas the Map Your Neighborhood program relies on neighbors working together to create a network of resources.

At the neighborhood meetings, “the exact locations of natural gas meters and propane tanks” would be mapped, since the single biggest source of neighborhood fire following disasters is natural and propane gas leaks, according to the program.

Area representatives appeared to hesitate to agree to Ruddy’s request, as none explicitly said they would host a meeting at their home, but several representatives showed interest in learning more, including Peter Culhane, PPCC vice chair, who offered to take the project to the Summit Club, a Highlands HOA, to get the word out. Another suggestion was made that the program be integrated with neighborhood watch efforts already in place.

The council agreed to promote the project via their online platforms and push it on social media, in hopes of finding interested parties to participate, and will revisit the topic at a future meeting.