The
Red Hook StarªRevue SOUTH BROOKLYN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
LATE SEPT. 2014
FREE
Red Hook is disaster-ready by Kevin Klein
E
nvironmentalism teaches us to think globally and act locally, bringing individuals together to protect habitats. While often the term of acting locally is aimed at protecting eco-systems and preventing climate change, other grass-roots efforts focus on knitting together communities to come up with a disaster action plan. In the first hours and days after Hurricane Sandy, the community of Red Hook did come together organically and managed a first response. Everything from medical triage to food distribution was organized by anyone willing and able, until official government response and recovery arrived. The Readiness Plan is based on the experience of community members who were present in Red Hook during and after Superstorm Sandy. In addition to a hurricane emergency, the plan is designed for a wide range of events including winter blizzards, heat waves, power outages, large fires and earthquakes, among others. Ready Red Hook is the community emergency readiness plan for the 72
hours before and after a major disaster. It takes what was done after Sandy and both formalizes and adds to it. The plan includes a detailed pamphlet which was developed by the community specifically for Red Hook. The purpose is to provide residents a single guide in preparation for the immediate recovery period of future emergencies in the critical time when local or federal government aid has not yet been deployed. This readiness plan is mostly an effort sponsored by the Red Hook Coalition. On Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Coalition organized a practice event called Ready Red Hook Day. Four stations were designated as gathering areas for people to gather in a disaster event. To guide community members along to the various sites, a “passport” was stamped for each location visited: Food & Shelter, Communications, Health & Medical/Community Response and Utilities/Coordination. A shuttle bus helped people go from one location to another – although many participants simply walked.
LOCAL BUSINESSES FIND INSPIRATION by George Fiala
IKEA is a crucial partner in the 72 hour readiness plan, hosting the Utilities and Coordination site. (photo by Keith Klein)
Councilman Carlos Menchaca, was at one of the sites the day of the event. While at the Utilities and Coordination site at Ikea, The Councilman stated, “The 72 hours before and after are the most critical moments,”Regarding Red Hook as the geographically isolated but small, friendly area, he said, “This huggable community needs to have a plan.” Although, there was a safety net in place when Sandy struck, Menchaca mentioned “We can do better, and that’s what this day is about”.
Food & Shelter
Greg O’Connell listens attentively to presentations of entrepreneurs who have changed the face of Red Hook
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n September 8th, ten local business owners gathered at Atelier Roquette for a graduation ceremony. They were members of what all agreed was a tremendous learning experience. For many, it was an emotional experience as well, something akin to group therapy, as was said. What made it all possible and affordable were the efforts of ReStore Red (continued on page 5)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Food and water will be distributed at the Visitation Church on Richards Street as will coordination for placement of individuals who are unable to return home or need assistance getting to their loved ones. I had the opportunity to speak with Sapni Advani, Coordinator of the Red Hook Coalition, who was assisting at the church. When I posed the question, “Shouldn’t all residents evacuate due to being a Flood Zone 1,”she responded, “due to high density development, it’s not always possible,” hence preparations such as the Food & Shelter station at Visitation Church and all other services are
a necessity. In fact, evacuation is voluntary, and prior to Sandy, many chose to stay at home. One reason was that hype that preceeded the not-so-dangerous Hurricane Irene the year before. Another is that nobody really enjoys going to a city shelter. The city did provide for transportation to shelters but many buses left Red Hook nearly empty.
Communications How and where to get information after a disaster is critical. Assuming there is no electricity or television, The Hub will act as strategically located public data system that will collect and display information based on community needs. The Hub will provide different kinds of information in digital and analog formats and the content will be reviewed by the Red Hook Initiative. At their headquarters on 767 Hicks Street, Tony Schloss was overseeing activities and explaining the plan to community members. Simply put, The Hub is a program that will spread information online and on traditional poster boards. As Director of Communication Initiatives, Schloss is collaborating with other agencies to develop a Wi-Fi network (continued on page 3)