Phases of a disaster:  RRRR  – Readiness, Response, Relief, & Recovery.

• Readiness – prepare, get a plan, get supplies, get trained, & drill.
• Response – the “badges” (police, fire and government and utilities) will try to help, yet everyone in a big regional disaster should be ready to handle the post-disaster for 72 hours on their own.  Schools have responsibility for the children until an authorized person claims each and every one.
• Relief – after the initial life-threatening issues are dealt with, what people need immediately after the disaster is to restore SSS – Safety, Sanitation, & Security.
• Recovery – the long-term return to normalcy for the individual, schools, business and community.

• ALL children,
• the disabled and elderly,
  
• those with fewer economic resources,
• and those speaking other languages than the emergency responders.
  

It is prudent for us, as PTA leaders, to review whether our schools are ready.  The Sixth District PTA is a participant in the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Disaster Preparedness Initiative.  As part of this effort, we’re doing survey of all the PTA schools in Santa Clara County, so we can have a profile of our current level of readiness.  Please help us by taking a couple of minutes to

• click here for the blank survey form, then save it on your own computer;
  
• fill in the downloaded form, giving your best guess as to your school’s status,
• and send it, as an attachment, to emergency@capta6.org.

Please do this right away! (Partial info now is better than complete info later.)

Thank you in advance for your help!

In the second semester we will be distributing information to help you make your schools and families more prepared.

Catherine Vonnegut
Sixth District PTA Emergency Preparedness