Palo Alto residents can sign up for two free emergency preparedness courses, starting with a session Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The city's Office of Emergency Services is hosting a Block Preparedness Coordinator training Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Public Safety Building, 250 Sherman Ave. The introductory course is free and open to the public.
A separate Stop the Bleed first-aid course follows Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, Room D-7. That class is also free.
Both trainings are part of National Preparedness Month, observed each September. The city's preparedness page urges residents to take three steps: sign up for emergency alerts, build a household emergency kit and plan, and get involved through volunteer programs like the Block Preparedness Coordinator network.
What each course covers
The Block Preparedness Coordinator program trains volunteers to serve as a point of contact for their block during a large-scale emergency. Coordinators share preparedness resources with neighbors and act as a communication link between residents and city emergency staff. The city described the role as helping residents become a resource for their neighbors.
The program is part of Palo Alto's broader Emergency Services Volunteer structure, which also includes Neighborhood Preparedness Coordinators, Community Emergency Response Team members and Amateur Radio Emergency Services operators.
A separate fall CERT Basic Training course began Sept. 1 and wraps up with a field day Saturday, Sept. 19.
The Stop the Bleed course teaches participants to respond to bleeding emergencies before professional help arrives. No prior medical training is required.
How to sign up
The Public Safety Building at 250 Sherman Ave. was noted as newly operational in City Manager Ed Shikada's weekly update on Aug. 24.
Residents can register for the Block Preparedness Coordinator training or sign up for Stop the Bleed online, or contact the Office of Emergency Services at (650) 617-3197 or [email protected].
