Safety, disaster preparedness, working together as a neighborhood and a community, are these topics we think of very often?  We don’t because we are all so busy.  But these are all issues we need to think about.   

The Greater Kirkland Citizen Corps Council is doing a great job to help all of the neighborhoods work together through the “Mapping Your Neighborhood (MYN) Program.”  

So here’s my proposal/challenge for Kirkland Highlands’ residents:

Let’s be the first, most organized neighborhood in Kirkland. Let’s have a lots of people in the Highlands participate in the “Mapping Your Neighborhood” program.   We can complete the map of our neighborhood and be the most prepared and caring community in Kirkland.  I’ve taken the training and plan to meet with my neighbors in the spring.  Let’s organize the MYN system in the Highlands for the GKCCC.  We would know who’s a MYN coordinator in each neighborhood.  We could  help each other out.  Anyone game?  Do let me or Karen Story know about your interest and participation.

 Karen Story emailed the following message out to The Highlands email list last week in which she outlined the program and the upcoming sessions:

Map Your Neighborhood Training Sessions Feb. 28 and Mar. 15

Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) is a state program designed to help neighborhoods prepare for disasters. MYN will help you to:

Learn the “9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster” to secure your home and to protect your neighborhood.

Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful in an effective disaster response.

Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and propane tanks for quick response if needed.

Create a Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such as elderly, disabled, or children who may be home alone during certain hours of the day.

Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood during the first hour following a disaster and take the necessary actions.

Each training session will teach you how to conduct MYN in your own neighborhood. All sessions are the same; please come to the session that best fits your schedule. The training will be presented by Dr. LuAn Johnson, Public Education Program Manager, Washington State Emergency Management Division, who designed the Map Your Neighborhood program.

The dates and locations of the training are as follows:

Thursday, February 28, 7:00PM, Rose Hill Building, 7720 126th Ave NE (just south of NE 80th St)

Saturday, March 15, 9:30AM, Kirkland Stake Center, 7910 NE 132nd St (corner of Juanita Drive)

For more info on MYN, visit http://www.emd.wa.gov/myn. For questions about the above sessions, contact Toby Nixon, 425-823-9779.