Resident Preparedness

While the Residents’ Preparedness Group  Manual of information and Operations is being developed, this website provides access to existing resources for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness.  An introduction to Emergency preparedness is presented on this page.  The following links provide access to the resources.  Additional information will be added as resource material is collected for final editing into the RPG Manual.

EMERGENCY PREPARENESS FOR RVM RESIDENTS (View/Download  PDF)
What to prepare for, and why — text displayed below

Preparation Information — How to Do it 
Water, Electricity, Sanitation, Documents, Medical, and Pets

RVM Information
Preparedness information from MyRVM or distributed by RVM

EMERGENCY PREPARENESS FOR RVM RESIDENTS
What to prepare for, and why

To download a PDF of this file, click here

Resident Resources — the Resident Preparedness Group (RPG) is a volunteer organization that supports RVM preparedness efforts by ensuring that every Independent Living resident is within a short walk of a volunteer with a commitment to emergency preparation and response.  Your participation prepares both you and your community for unforeseen hazards.

Why Prepare?  Jackson County has ranked the four greatest local natural hazards, with the worst first.

1. Earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone This major fault lies offshore between southern British Columbia and northern California. On average, there has been a Very Large or Great Earthquake (magnitude 8.0-9.2) every 200-300 years.  The most recent one occurred in 1700 – 322 years ago.
2. Wildfire In September 2020 the Almeda fire destroyed large parts of the cities of Talent and Phoenix, and forced the evacuation of Rogue Valley Manor.
3. Infectious Disease The 2+ year coronavirus pandemic has been an emergency in slow motion for many people.  An overloaded medical system, hoarding, supply chain disruptions and severe staffing shortages have all caused hardships.  A more virulent infectious agent would create true emergencies.
4. Winter Storm In spite of drought and warming, the Rogue Valley area continues to experience some winter storms. Especially at higher elevations, these can block highways and roads, and impede both routine and emergency travel.
5. Power Outage  We add loss of electrical power to the list as it is likely to accompany many natural and human-caused disasters, and has other causes as well.

This list does not include human-caused emergencies such as industrial accidents, acts of war or terrorism, and civil unrest – all of which are possible.

All of those have happened, and will happen again.  You need to decide in advance whether or not you want to be a survivor, because if you don’t make that choice and act on it, you have effectively chosen to be a victim.

RVM has emergency plans, equipment, supplies, and dedicated employees — but it is a retirement community, not a response, rescue and relief organization.  There are major limitations on what support and protection we can expect if something really bad happens.

What to Do –

• Become familiar with the emergency information on myRVM and the Resident Preparedness Group website. Know about the emergency notification systems – One Call Now, Channel 900, and the RGP Coordinator network
• Plan your response to emergencies.
• Prepare yourself to carry out those responses.

How to Respond –

Follow RVM instructions or established procedures.

Shelter in place at home – except for certain fire conditions, if your cottage or apartment is habitable, it is best to stay there, but be prepared to leave if necessary.

Shelter in place in the towers – if a wildfire threatens the campus, RVM will evacuate cottage residents to the safety of the high-rise buildings.

Self-evacuate off-site – residents are free to leave in an emergency.  However, travel can be very risky, and should be undertaken only by the knowledgeable and well equipped

How to Prepare –

• Be ready to go at least three days without utilities or any additional supplies. In major disasters even the best relief efforts may take days to reach everyone.
• If possible, be equipped for at least two weeks on your own at any season – the State of Oregon has estimated that in case of a Cascadia earthquake, Rogue Valley recovery times might be 1-3 months for electricity and 1-12 months for water and sewer, and transportation will be severely impacted.
• Have a Go-Bag prepared to be able to take your most critical possessions such as medicine, contact and ID information, money and some basic emergency supplies in case you have to leave home quickly.

Does that sound overwhelming?  Others have done it, and there is help at hand.  For information, consult your RPG Coordinator, go to https://thecomplement.info/2022/03/03/resident-preparedness/  or access the information linked below.

Preparation Information — How to Do it 
With sections on Water, Electricity, Sanitation, Documents, Medical, and Pets

RVM Information
Preparedness information from MyRVM or distributed by RVM

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