Neighborhood Board Helps Kaneohe Prepare

The Pacific hurricane season is under way, and that’s a reminder to Be Prepared.

Kaneohe Neighborhood Board member Bill Sager does his part, and more, as chairman of the Board’s Disaster Preparedness Subcommittee.

Recently, the Board sponsored and Bill organized the Koolaupoko Community Resilience and Livability Fair at Windward Mall. Thirty-five exhibitors took part, including organizations working to make our community more resilient and livable.

A key message of the event was that everyone can play a role in disaster preparedness. And fair-goers responded. For example, the Kaneohe/Kahaluu Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) gathered two pages of names of people who want to do their part.

CERT volunteers mobilize in disasters to help family, neighbors and communities until emergency crews arrive. You can be a CERT volunteer, too. It takes just three days of training, and the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management provides that on a regular basis.

Other disaster-busting volunteer opportunities include:

• The Emergency Management Reserve Corps (EMRC), which helps the Department of Emergency Management during disasters and at special events.
• Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES), which is authorized by the federal government to communicate by radio during presidentially declared emergencies.

One more note: Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell sent a proclamation thanking the Neighborhood Board for sponsoring the Resilience and Livability Fair, and declaring May 16, 2015, as Koolaupoko Resilience and Livability Day. Thanks to everyone who took part, including the folks from the Kaneohe Community and Senior Center who organized the entertainment!