1. Right Choice Prepared Segment #1
Training in this segment will introduce Right Choice Prepared and help in understanding what we do and how we do it.
We are not preppers, alarmist or extremist
We are about ‘calm preparation’
Our approach is always positive, never negative
Our efforts are focused on preparing, caring and sharing
We are not interested in hoarding and protecting
There is a sense of urgency in emergency preparation because we never know when an emergency may come our way. But that doesn’t justify the use of negative tactics such as fear, sensationalism or panic. We promote the ‘positive approach’ – We refer to that as ‘calm preparation’.

2. Right Choice Prepared Who are we?
We are a nonprofit Utah based corporation.
We provide training on how to help citizens organize themselves into grass-roots community-based preparedness groups where ‘Neighbors Help Neighbors’.
We are a separate entity, independent from other organizations. We do, however, work very closely with city and county governments. We exchange information and we assist each other in the common goal of helping the citizenry become better prepared for emergencies.

3. Right Choice Prepared How does it work?
It’s all based on volunteerism. Someone volunteers to be a ‘Good Neighbor’ (GN). They are assigned a geographic area of 6-12 homes called a ‘Block’. They make an initial visit to their neighbor’s home and explain what they are doing. Interested neighbors are invited to the next preparedness seminar and informed where the ‘gathering place’ is. A 3-colored card set is left for the resident to display in a front facing window in time of crisis indicating level of need. Any who are not interested are politely left alone.
We use the term: Good Neighbor. The person with this responsibility has also been known as: Block Captain. We prefer the title; Good Neighbor. We think it much better describes what a good neighbor does.

4. Right Choice Prepared Cost?
Is there a cost?
There is no cost to participate.
There are no registration fees.
Seminars and workshops are provided free of charge.
If you want to buy an items that appears on a display table, there is a charge for that. Workshops often are centered on emergency preparedness type items that participants assemble or build. There is cost for the materials.

5. Right Choice Prepared Neighbors Helping Neighbors
What is ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’?
It’s just what it says: neighbors helping their neighbors.
Combined with preparing, it’s caring and sharing.
We use this phrase to describe how we operate both in preparation for an emergency and especially during one and immediately after.

6. Right Choice Prepared Neighborhood Organization
How are neighborhoods organized? – Leadership?
Neighborhoods are divided into smaller more manageable groups.
Blocks homes Good Neighbor (GN) – also known as: Block Captain
Districts Blocks District Leader (DL)
Areas Districts Area Leader (AL) & AL Assistant
Master Area Areas Master Area Leader (MAL) & MAL Assistant
Neighborhoods come in all sizes. From single family homes on large ranches or farms to high-rise apartment buildings. The critical factors in determining the number of houses in a Block are:
1. Distance between front doors.
2. Are residents fulltime or part-time? Try to limit block size to 6-8 dwellings of fulltime residents.
3. Multiple housing developments can have larger numbers. Ranch or farms would have smaller.
4. Existing relationships of how residents interrelate with each other. Are there those with ethnic, cultural, family, language or religious preferences that would want to be grouped together?

7. Right Choice Prepared Preparedness Seminars
Preparedness seminars are usually held monthly.
Duration: one hour
Hosted locally – Civic sites: City Hall, Libraries, Schools, etc.
Various preparedness topics are presented: Water & Food Storage, 96-hour Comfort Kits, CERT training, Medical, Communications, etc.
Presenters are considered experts in their field.
Training is often provided by those who live within the Master Area.
What preparedness seminars do and provide is hard to overstate. Far beyond providing some training they create enthusiasm and interest. There is a comradery that builds over a short period of time. Attendees unite in a common cause. A well presented preparedness seminar will generate a positive mental tone. Any negativity is most often quickly overpowered by the positive energy in the room. It is absolutely essential that citizens attend these seminars. It is our responsibility to invite anyone and everyone that shows any interest to attend – it is especially important that the GN invites their neighbors.

8. Right Choice Prepared Gathering Place
A ‘gathering place’ is a location designated in advance where neighbors will meet as soon as possible after an emergency. Neighbors are instructed to secure their own safety and that of any family or guests before coming to the gathering place. Good Neighbors (GN) are encouraged to visit those in their assigned Block and bring a report to the gathering place.
In each District or a combination of several Districts a ‘gathering place’ will be designated in advance. This location can be a clubhouse, school, library or other community/civic structure. It must be a building that provides shelter in case of inclement weather. Consider using the same structure that is used for the seminars. As a last resort, consider using the home of the DL. Use of church buildings must be avoided, the members of that congregation may feel comfortable but others won’t. If at all possible the location should be within walking distance of the homes in the District(s).

9. Right Choice Prepared Gathering Place
Upon arrival the GN’s submits their reports.
Residents and GN’s are assigned to help a neighbor in critical need.
Residents and GN’s immediately depart to help the neighbor
This is the essence of ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’
Depending on a number of factors residents or the GN may or may not be assigned to help a neighbor in their assigned Block. Their Block may not have any needs and other areas close by may have massive needs.

10. Right Choice Prepared Gathering Place - NRDAK
Neighborhood Rapid Disaster Assessment Kit
A NRDAK is a pre assembled packet unique to a specific home.
A GN takes a NRDAK to each home in the assigned Block to:
Distribute important emergency information
Collect & Record demographic information on the occupants
On event day
A GN takes the NRDAK back to the home to assess:
Wellbeing of the occupants
Any structural damage to the home, surroundings, neighborhood, etc.
A NRDAK has two purposes: Collect information before an emergency and to Assess damage after one. Each NRDAK contains a map, with the specific home highlighted, a form containing the known demographics of the occupants and a damage assessment form. Space to record any additional demographics, special needs of the occupants; i.e. aux. oxygen, electricity, transportation needs, etc. Also, space to record any special training, skills or equipment that the occupants have – and if the occupants are willing to help their neighbors.

11. Right Choice Prepared Communications
We have a neighborhood communication system.
Before an emergency we use the following to keep everyone updated:
Cell and landline phones
Visits to their homes
Social media
Texting
Etc.
It is assumed that at the onset of a major emergency landline phones and cell phones may quickly become overwhelmed and inoperable. However, prior to an emergency these ways of communication are wonderful for gathering and disseminating information.

12. Right Choice Prepared Communications
During and immediately after an emergency we use:
Walkie-Talkie radios – Personally owned by residents
Ham radios – Personally owned by a very few residents
*Police style radios – Issued to Master Area Leaders by the local police department
*Capable of communicating directly with local
command centers
It is assumed that at the onset of a major emergency the local phone systems will quickly become inoperable. However, often calls can be made to destinations outside the immediately effective area where messages of “I’m alright” can be left with a relative or a friend living in another state. It is estimated that the phone system can only handle about 10% of the calls of the number of phones in service in any given area. When that number is exceeded the system stalls and goes into shut-down. Only when the volume of calls drops below 10% will the system reboot. Hence, the critical need for a communication system that is not phone based – rather radio based.

13. Right Choice Prepared Being Prepared
If we get prepared prior to a time of crisis we will be able to better provide for ourselves and assist our neighbors. We can choose to prepare, or not. Our choices determine whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem.
It’s almost impossible to prepare once the crisis is upon us. At that point we just ride out the storm and do the best we can. Which is what we are going to do anyway. But if prepared, we will have a lot more resources at our disposal to work with.

14. Right Choice Prepared Do We Care?
As we think about emergency preparedness, the first question to ask ourselves is: Do I Care? And the second question is: Enough to prepare?
To say ‘I Care’ is one thing. It’s a whole different matter to be sufficiently motivated to take action

15. Right Choice Prepared Do We Care?
If I care enough to prepare The next question is: Do I care, enough to share?
To share does not mean that you commit to feed the neighborhood. Sharing can be in time, in sharing information, in sharing expertise, in sharing knowledge, in simply sharing a listening ear. And, maybe some food as well.

16. Right Choice Prepared Do We Care?
If we care enough to prepare and share Where do we start and what do we prepare for?
Getting started is always the hardest part. Knowing how to prepare and what to prepare for helps tremendously in getting started.

17. Getting Prepared What Do We Prepare For?
Even though the most likely catastrophic emergency scenarios are:
Earthquake – Fire – Flood
Civil Riots – Chaos
EMP – War
Pandemic, Etc.
Does it really matter?
Does it really matter what the emergency is?

18. Getting Prepared Knowing what we need
Regardless of the emergency we are going to need:
Food
Water
Shelter
Medical aid
Transportation
Communications
Etc.
Regardless of the type of emergency we are going to need the same things. Knowing what we will need is a great place to start.

19. Right Choice Prepared Our Job
Our job, yours and mine is to:
Get better prepared.
Assist others in getting prepared.
Right Choice Prepared provides training in that effort
Preparing and helping others prepare is the key

20. The Great Gulf Gov’t Emergency Agencies
City
County
State
Federal – FEMA
In any emergency where the resources of the city is insufficient the county sets up a command center. It is through a county command center that all resources and help flow to residents.
In an emergency residents will need the following Shelter, Food, Water Medical, EMT, Fire Communications Transportation Etc.
We have this Gulf between residents in need in times of crisis and emergency responders that have emergency response resources residents don’t have access to.

21. The Great Gulf Bridge Gov’t Emergency Agencies
City
County
State
Federal – FEMA
In any emergency where the resources of the city is insufficient the county sets up a command center. It is through a county command center that all resources and help flow to residents.
In an emergency residents will need the following: Shelter, Food, Water Medical, EMT, Fire Communications Transportation Etc.
Bridge
What we need is something to bridge that Gulf.

22. The Great Gulf Right Choice Prepared Gov’t Emergency Agencies
City
County
State
Federal – FEMA
In any emergency where the resources of the city is insufficient the county sets up a command center. It is through a county command center that all resources and help flow to residents.
In an emergency residents will need the following: Shelter, Food, Water Medical, EMT, Fire Communications Transportation Etc.
Right Choice Prepared
Right Choice Prepared is that bridge.