Last October, we photographed Sharonn Meeks and Cindi Barker during a West Seattle Be Prepared Emergency Communication Hubs drill, simulating what might happen in terms of neighborhood communication during a major earthquake. Tomorrow, WSBP is part of another drill, this one citywide. From 9 am until noon, volunteer groups here and in several other Seattle neighborhoods, with the help of the city Office of Emergency Management and the Auxiliary Communication Service, will be involved in role-playing scenarios and radio communications. The hubs are neighborhood gathering places where volunteers will help coordinate communication in case of catastrophe – an expanded version of the premise that neighbors helping neighbors will be far more likely in the immediate hours and days after disaster than relying on the authorities to reach everyone who needs help. WSBP says this drill will “activate” two hubs – the one for the Fairmount neighborhood, at Providence Mount St. Vincent (4831 35th SW, northeast corner by the flagpole), and the new North Delridge hub (at the P-Patch at 5078 25th SW). You are welcome to come observe, but they don’t need extra help this time around; if you’d like to get involved with neighborhood preparedness in general, here’s how to reach WSBP!

P.S. WSBP has another training session coming up – featuring a movie about our region’s quake threat; it’s on May 16th and you can get all the details here.