Newark Neighborhood Rallies Together in Preparation of Earthquakes

Announcement and photo submitted by Nishi Deokule, Earthquake Emergency Team:

Disaster strikes! Your house is in pieces; your neighborhood is in chaos. The help and supply chains are thinned out while the community waits panicked, cold, and hungry.

Six months ago, Nishi Deokule, a father of young children, decided to implement an emergency management system in his neighborhood. Dubbed the Earthquake Emergency Team (EET), the movement was joined by a group of neighborhood children lead by Parisa Deokule,15, Akshey Deokule,11, Shantanu Kamath,11, Keerthi Konda,12, and Ulani Woods, 8, who rallied together to participate in the effort to be prepared in an emergency.

EET’s efforts focus on preparedness and response in emergencies. Their main goal is to give help throughout the neighborhood until emergency personnel arrive to assist. The team develops and maintains emergency communication procedures, conducts drills, and maintains relationships with key organizations that provide emergency response support. The EET conducts semi-annual exercises to prepare for earthquakes.

The EET collected forms with information on each household to document which homes have 50-gallon water heaters, which residents are certified in CPS, and to identify any engineers. As part of their preparations, they have also designated a central location for everyone to meet in case of a disaster.

Their most recent event was National Night Out on August 5 where they handed out “Earthquake Kit Lists” and gave a short presentation.

If you are interested in introducing this to your neighborhood we would be happy to help. We can be reached at eetnewark@gmail.com

Photo caption: Earthquake Emergency Team on National Night Out 2014