Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program
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).
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.
How NEPP Works
NEPP facilitators will conduct two meetings with citizen groups and then act as consultants as those groups develop
their response plans.
- Personal preparedness is the first step of NEPP and the subject of the first meeting.
- The second meeting focuses on sett ing up your neighbourhood team, including the following response units:
- Shelter and Caregiving
- Communications and Transportation
- Light Urban Search and Rescue
- Utilities and Fire Suppression
- Disaster First Aid
- Damage Assessment
The first two meetings and a 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.
Presentations are offered at no charge to any neighbourhood, school, or interested group in Surrey. To arrange a presentation, email firstname.lastname@example.org or call 604-543-6795.
Download the Neighbourhood Toolkit for help developing your neighbourhood plan.