With a crowd of just under 200 in attendance, a second Neighbor 4 Neighbor (N4N) event was held at the Cypress Village HOA on June 8.
With a crowd of just under 200 in attendance, a second Neighbor 4 Neighbor (N4N) event was held at the Cypress Village HOA on June 8.
The primary purpose of N4N is to provide opportunities for neighborhoods to pool talents and resources to increase their chances of withstanding and recovering from a disaster, and to look out for each other in the meantime. Some of their objectives include opening lines of communication between neighbors, neighbors working together to reduce crime in the area, looking out for each other in times of need and banding together and recovering from disasters.
This N4N meeting was hosted by the Cypress Village HOA Emergency Preparedness Committee including Conrad and Virginia Barrett, Mary Kasdan, Teresa Sherrin, Jan Ridgeway and Mardi Reese. It was assisted by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) crew from Station #17, serving Cypress, several Cypress Volunteers in Policing (VIP) and a contingent from West County Community Emergency Preparedness Team (CERT), serving the cities of Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and Westminster. Guests included Mayor David Shawver of Stanton and Councilman Dean Grose from Los Alamitos.
Vendors who participated and donated door prizes included Emergency Medical Products, PPE Suppliers, Quake Safe Kits, D.P. Fields Outfitter, The Ready Store, Handman Sam Weiss, Larry Mulligan’s Plumbing and Marx Bros. Fire Extinguisher. Local realtors donating door prizes included Marcy Colton, Amelia Allison and Joe & Julia Sanchez.
Speakers included Conrad Barrett of Cypress Village and OCFA Fireman Raymond McQueen from Station #17. Fireman McQueen stated that in the event of a real disaster, fire, ambulance and police personnel would most likely not be able to help you for a period of up to seven to 10 days. During that critical period, you would be your own first responders and you need to prepare to work both individually for your family and as a team for your neighborhood as soon as possible.
West County’s CERT Wink Chase demonstrated how to drop, cover and hold on in the event of an earthquake. Dr. Joe Horejsi, West County CERT medical director stressed the importance of purchasing and including K-Pads and Cobain bandages in your first-aid kit to control heavy bleeding. Charles Mealey, Cypress VIP, spoke on the importance of watching out for one another both in good times and particularly in the event of a disaster.
For more information on Neighbor 4 Neighbor, please email Wink Chase at wchase@oceva.org.