From: FD - oem@cob.org <oem@cob.org>

Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2020 16:33

Cc: Keller, Janice L.

Subject: After MNAC, Map Your Neighborhood

Hello, members of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission! It was a pleasure to sit quietly on the sidelines yesterday evening during your meeting, and I appreciated the opportunity to address you briefly at the end of your online meeting back in July.

The objective of this message is to provide information about the Map Your Neighborhood program in Bellingham and, when Whatcom County reaches Phase 3 of the WA Safe Start plan, we will also provide information about emergency preparedness presentations that you can coordinate on behalf of the neighborhood you represent. We anticipate a consolidated quarterly message to you with information about emergency preparedness, training opportunities, and related information that you can share with your neighborhood.

Map Your Neighborhood is structured as a 90-minute, in-person gathering within a neighborhood, usually for 15 to 30 nearby households. It is a planning activity that neighbors undertake with, and for, each other. Street by street, the goal and result of this simple program is a community that is more resilient in times of emergency and more connected the year round. While the protective measures related to COVID-19 are active in our city, Map Your Neighborhood gatherings are happening via videoconference (Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, or others).

The Office of Emergency Management is here to help you bring Map Your Neighborhood to your neighborhood! We can provide:

• orientation for neighbors who wish to conduct an online gathering on their street;
• printed materials and supplies to help make the gathering a success;
• follow-up for questions and more information.

There are over 36,000 households in Bellingham, and so we encourage and support active neighbors throughout the city to amplify our efforts and we look to you as our ambassadors to bring the message of Map Your Neighborhood to your neighborhood.

How do you or an interested neighbor get started? Just contact us!

Greg Hope (Columbia neighbor!)

============================

Education & Outreach Coordinator

City of Bellingham

Office of Emergency Management

360-778-8443 (office)

360-305-0518 (mobile/text)

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