Tsunami warning reaffirms importance of emergency preparedness
MESSAGE FROM THE GRF PRESIDENT
by Linda Herman
GRF President
Following a recent tsunami warning, many residents have asked: “Are we on our own in an emergency?” In past disasters, GRF and Mutuals have stepped in. For example, after a fire displaced six units for a year in the mid-2000s, they worked together to find temporary housing. As a shareholder, I personally assisted one resident with their insurance claim, which required a detailed inventory of belongings. Lesson learned: Take pictures or a video of the inside of your unit. Do not store the documentation in your unit.
But today, GRF’s official position is that people need to prepare for their own safety in the event of a major emergency. In upcoming months, GRF will be considering other local disaster plans with an eye to possibly adjusting its emergency operations procedures.
On July 30, one of the most powerful earthquakes in modern history struck Russia’s remote coast, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean, including the California coast. That day, I happened to receive two emergency preparedness plans from other communities.
While I have only reviewed them briefly, both focus on postdisaster actions—helping the injured, establishing a meeting place, and organizing recovery efforts. I will be reading them more closely to consider what might apply here.
What About Seal Beach Leisure World?
Some residents have asked how we would evacuate. Security has keys to all gates, but in reality, a mass evacuation would likely be chaotic—not only within Leisure World, but throughout the surrounding area.
Preparedness starts at the individual level. Every resident should be equipped with:
• Food and water
• Prescription medications
• Cash
• Any other personal essentials And perhaps most importantly: know your neighbors. If a disaster strikes, we will need to help each other.
Does GRF Have a Role?
Truthfully, that depends on the situation. As board president, my focus during the tsunami warning was communication: • I contacted Security.
• I alerted staff to initiate LW Live broadcasts.
• I notified the Interim Executive Director, who was outside the tsunami zone but was ready to come in. In any disaster, people helping people will make a difference. Here are some ways residents can prepare for potential emergencies.
Emergency preparedness groups in Leisure World:
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): CERT members receive training in various areas including disaster preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, and basic disaster psychology. They are volunteers trained to assist during disasters and help neighbors until first responders arrive. CERT meets on the fourth Friday of every month at 9 a.m. in Clubhouse 3, Room 9. See page 18 for more information.
• Emergency Information Council: The Emergency Information Council, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity. Its purpose is compiling and making available emergency management and response information and preparedness planning, mainly through publication and maintenance of information booklets and pamphlets. It also creates and develops disaster response plans, activities, and materials within Leisure World. The EIC meets on the second Thursday of odd-numbered months in Building C, Conference Room B, at 1 p.m., in person and on Zoom. For more information visit www.eiclwsb.org.
• Amateur Radio Club: This club brings together amateur radio users to learn how to use radios to communicate and help others during a communication outage. HAM, General Mobile Radio Service and Family Radio Service radios play a vital role in emergency communications. They work without relying on existing infrastructure, making them ideal in disasters like earthquakes and wildfires. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 10 a.m. in Clubhouse 3, Room 9. Volunteers conduct emergency radio practice drills every Wednesday morning from 9:30-9:45 a.m. on Channel 18/0. For more information, call 562-431-6586, ext. 2409. See page 18 for more information.
Emergency notification systems:
• LW Live: Sign up for Leisure World news and updates at
www.lwsb.com/lw-live/.
• AlertOC: To receive realtime emergency alerts by text, phone, or email, sign up for AlertOC at www.AlertOC.org.
• Nixle: The Seal Beach Police Department encourages residents to sign up for Nixle Alerts by visiting https://www. nixle.com/ or texting their zip code to 888777.
