Overflow crowd gets blunt message at VashonBePrepared 2011 Annual Meeting

Tom Miner, head of the Northwest's  sole FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Incident Support Team, riveted an overflow audience with a clear message that after a major regional disaster, federal help is very unlikely to arrive on Vashon for well over 3 days and likely 10 – or more – days. With massive needs, emergency managers must assign their limited resources to the locations where they can do the most good for the most people. The government will clearly strive to save the most lives: to cities, to large buildings and schools where there are large numbers of people – not to rural homes. Having been at most major disasters in recent decades, he was blunt that the government does not have the resources to quickly rescue small localities like Vashon.

He also was clear that the reports of potential earthquakes are our warning. We've had all the warning we're going to get, we know it's coming and we know it is up to each household to be prepared. There is not going to be another warning two days before the actual event: get your house in order NOW!

In his experience, with local rescue personnel maxed out and also suffering personal losses, households will be on their own for some time.  Basic supplies of water and less than tasty meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) may arrive in a week or so, but restoration of roads, power and water facilities may take weeks. The government will restore basic services, but every Vashonite can avoid many of these issues by retrofitting our houses and businesses for earthquakes, having 10-14 days of basic supplies stored outside the house, purchasing earthquake insurance,  and having an out-of-area point of contact that all family members know to reach to coordinate messages. Local radio stations (for us: Voice of Vashon 1650AM) are the best sources of Vashon-specific news.

Frankly, we will be on our own after a disaster.

The crowd of well over 100 Vashon homeowners spilled out the main room of the Vashon Land Trust and filled the foyer. In addition to his message for homeowners, Miner also gave valuable advice to the many volunteers with VashonBePrepared and all the affiliated Vashon disaster preparedness groups. Miner, whose family were one of Vashon’s the first founding families, had praise for the volunteer model that characterizes our local preparedness efforts.

The meeting began with a welcome and review of the accomplishments since the last Annual Meeting. An election was then held for the board of directors’ at-large members (congratulations to Donna Donnelly, Steve Snyder, Oz Osborne, Synthia Downs and Jill Janow) - who join ex officio board members (Rick Wallace, Catherine Rogers, May Gerstle, Ed Steyh, Joe Ulatoski, Hank Lipe, Rex Stratton, Scott Rice, Daniel Luechtefeld and myself).

Fire Chief Hank Lipe called out the many values of VashonBePrepared and spoke to Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s (VIFR) role in disaster preparedness with a well received, humorous and inspired talk, before Joe Ulatoski introduced keynote speaker Tom Miner.