Emergencies happen every day in Bountiful.
But these emergencies rarely involve more than one household at a time.
Emergencies that endanger the life or property of a small group or single household are what we call personal emergencies. These emergencies can include medical emergencies, car accidents, single-home fires, and so on.
But sometimes, emergencies and disasters could happen that impact multiple households, even whole neighborhoods or our whole city. These emergencies can include natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and other problems affecting our entire community.
The main thing that separates these emergencies from personal emergencies is that they may cause professional responders and resources to be overwhelmed. When a lot of people in Bountiful need help, police, ambulance, fire, and other crews cannot respond to everything at once. Calling 911 may not be an option for you and your household.
To prepare for this, Bountiful City’s volunteer emergency response system is activated..
Bountiful City Volunteer Emergency Response Structure
In case of a community-wide disaster, the volunteer emergency response system identifies the areas of most need and helps their neighbors with any problems.
Bountiful City is geographically broken up into 12 districts, which are further subdivided into areas. These areas are then divided into blocks of around 5-10 homes. Each district, area, and block has an assigned captain or leader. Because of this, every home and business in Bountiful has assigned emergency volunteers to help and assist in times of crisis.
In a wide-spread emergency, you as a citizen will report to your block captain. Your block captain reports to the area leader, and so on up the chain until it reaches the Emergency Operations Center. Run by the Bountiful Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Council, this center is located inside the Bountiful Police Station. They coordinate with all of the districts and professional services to get the important services to where they are most needed.
How do I communicate with Bountiful Volunteer Emergency Response during an emergency?
Your first priority in an emergency is to make sure everyone in your household is okay. Then post your red or green colored door hanger on your door.
If everyone is okay, display the green side of the colored door hanger. If there is an issue that you need help with, either with members of your family or with your home or some other concern, display the red side of the colored door hanger.
If you do not have a colored door hanger, please contact your block captain or area leader.
Then what?
What you do next depends on your household and the circumstances of the emergency. The best way to be prepared for a variety of circumstances is to make a household emergency plan. If you want even more training to be ready for several things that may come your way, we recommend becoming CERT trained. Click the buttons below to learn more about household plans and CERT!