Community Emergency Hub exercise

Today I enjoyed volunteering at the 2019 Seattle Emergency Hubs Field Exercise.
Community Emergency Hubs are places where people gather after a disaster to help each other.
Seattle Emergency Hubs is a coalition of volunteers from Seattle neighborhoods having the shared goal of preparing for, responding to, and being resilient after a major disaster. Hubs serve as a central gathering place among neighbors in homes, apartments and condominiums
In these exercises, volunteers get experience out in the real weather and work hands on to perform the functions of a hub. If you would like to train to help your community respond in the event of a major disaster, this is the exercise for you.
I served as a “community actor”. I pulled short scripts from a bowl ("My block needs a crowbar to get garage door open", "My husband is trapped in our red Honda Civic under a downed power line, how does he get out?", "The pharmacy at Hollywood and Vine says its power is down so bring your medicine bottles if you want to fill a prescription") and went around seeking help. The workers processed my request, directed me to resources, and occasionally sent me over to the HAM radio operator.
This was fun and who knows? if we have an earthquake this could be very important. Learn more at http://seattleemergencyhubs.org/ and http://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management/prepare/prepare-your-neighborhood/community-emergency-hubs