Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness
Help prepare your neighbourhood to be self-sufficient in the event of a disaster.
People cope better during a disaster, and recover more quickly afterwards, when they work together. “Neighbours helping neighbours” is the principle behind Surrey’s Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP), part of the Surrey Emergency Program (SEP).
The NEPP helps neighbourhoods identify the skills and resources that would be useful in a disaster, and teaches them how to respond safely and effectively in organized teams. The goal is to prepare neighbourhoods to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours after a disaster.
A neighbourhood can be a group of homes, an apartment or townhouse complex, a school or daycare, a business, or any other place where the same individuals regularly gather.
Download the Neighbourhood Toolkit for help developing your neighbourhood plan.
How it works
NEPP facilitators conduct meetings with citizen groups and then act as consultants as those groups develop their response plans.
Personal preparedness is the first step of NEPP. The second step focuses on setting up your neighbourhood team, including the following response units:
- Shelter and Care Giving
- Communications and Transportation
- Light Urban Search and Rescue
- Utilities and Fire Suppression
- Disaster First Aid
- Damage Assessment
The third step involves practicing your roles in a table-top exercise at the Surrey Fire Service Central Training Facility. After that, it is up to you to maintain your prepared neighbourhood.
Facilitated meetings and the table-top exercise are free. Groups are responsible for their own supply costs if they wish to augment their neighbourhood’s resources. Advanced training is available for a nominal cost.
Free Presentations
Free Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program Presentations are offered to any neighbourhood, school, or interested group in Surrey. To arrange a presentation, email surreyemergencyprogram@surrey.ca or call 604-543-6795.