Neighborhood disaster preparedness

Prepare for disasters by getting to know your neighbors, sharing contact information, and creating emergency plans together.

Build connections with neighbors so you are ready to support each other if a disaster happens. In an emergency, first responders may not be able to get to you immediately. Those who live nearby are best positioned to help.

Being familiar with the people who live closest to you — and making simple disaster plans together — helps you and your neighborhood respond and recover more quickly.

Building a network of people for emergencies is the one of the best things you can do to stay safe. It can help you evacuate faster, get help when you need it, stay informed, and recover faster.

Connect with other neighborhood leaders by signing up via our online form and clicking “I want to organize my neighborhood.”

Follow our Six Critical Steps to start building your neighborhood group:

Know your neighbors: Introduce yourself to your neighbors to build connections
Create a group communication plan: Share contact information and choose how to communicate
Create a group inventory: Identify neighborhood skills, resources, and people who may need help
Make an evacuation plan: Develop a plan and check-in during emergencies
Practice utility and fire safety: Learn how to use a fire extinguisher and how to shut off gas
Promote household and neighborhood preparedness: Make a household plan, build a kit, and sign up for alerts

Step one: Introduce yourself to your neighbors

Start by meeting your neighbors in a way that feels comfortable for you. Some ideas:

Say hi, introduce and share a little about yourself, especially when someone new has moved in
Sit on your porch with snacks and talk to people
Knock on doors with a small baked good to share
Use social media or other groups to meet people who live near you

You can use the Elevator Pitch Guide to practice introducing yourself.

After you have met your neighbors, find a couple of people who would like to help. With a small team of dedicated helpers, neighborhood groups can remain active and engaged.

Once you have your helpers, plan a low-pressure neighborhood meeting or social event to bring more people together. Keep events fun and introduce disaster preparedness slowly.

Step two: Share contact information and choose how to communicate

Collect contact information from group members and share the list with everyone. Set up a phone tree or start a dedicated group chat. Get together at least once a year to update contact information and strengthen connections.

Choose the communication method that works best for your group:

Phone calls are quick and reliable for urgent situations
Text messages work for short, timely messages
Social media groups or messaging apps may be better for large groups
Emails are useful for sharing resources, longer information, and instructions
In-person conversations for those who do not use digital tools

Step three: Identify neighborhood skills, resources, and people who may need help

As you get to know neighbors, ask what disaster skills, supplies, or other resources they would be willing to share in emergencies. Find out if households may need extra help: for example, if they have small children, elders, people with disabilities, or don’t have a car.

Build your own or the group’s skills by attending disaster preparedness trainings.

Step four: Develop an evacuation plan and check-in system

Develop a basic neighborhood evacuation plan to help people leave during emergencies.

Your plan should include:

How your neighborhood should evacuate: decide on several routes and modes of transportation
Who may need help or a ride
Where to gather: one primary location and one back-up option

Make an emergency check-in system:

Assign a primary contact for each household and add them to a group text
Pair neighbors with buddies to check on each other
Use simple status codes to quickly communicate safety such as “safe” and “help.”
Use the group text to check in during an emergency and confirm everyone is safe afterward

Step five: Practice using a fire extinguisher; learn how to shut off gas

At least once a year, inspect and practice using your fire extinguisher. Make sure your neighbors have their own fire extinguishers and are up to date on how to use them.

Locate your gas utility shutoff valve and electric panels. Keep a wrench on hand in case you need to shut off gas service yourself. Learn about Gas Utility Safety from PG&E and from our Disaster Preparedness Trainings.

Step six: Make a household plan, build a disaster supply kit, and sign up for alerts

Household preparedness leads to neighborhood preparedness. Neighbors can work together to promote preparedness using our Six Critical Steps to Preparedness for households.

Every household should work on gathering supplies for their own disaster supply kit so that everyone has the essentials they need until help arrives. If you need to focus on getting only a few supplies, focus on: