Problems of Pets and Preparedness

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by Bob Buddemeier

INTRODUCTION:  I was recently privileged to be asked to organize a resident review of a draft RVM document on handling of pets in a wildfire evacuation. I say “privileged” because I am committed to emergency preparedness and to resident consultation on RVM actions, and (disagreement on details notwithstanding) I believe that the RVM Administration is too.

I contacted a group of 6 pet-owners.  After two rounds of email discussion it seemed clear to me and to the RVM representative (based on my report) that more preparation is needed before going ahead with meetings and joint discussion, especially considering current RVM staffing limitations and the fact that fire season is 6-7 months away.

Perhaps foolishly, I have decided to attempt to lay out the issues in hope of fostering understanding.  My qualifications: (1) Pet owner – currently 2 cats, with a history of many others.  (2)  Professional training and responsibility for both public and employee safety and preparedness.  (3)  Six years of involvement in various relevant RVM resident activities and organizations.

This article is based primarily on my own knowledge, ignorance and opinions.  I do not pretend, and do not want, to speak for RVM or for the residents as a group.  The intention is to present the issues, as I see them, so that readers can develop more informed opinions of their own and carry out more effective communication.  The article is long (especially including the appendices), partly because I am a wordy writer, but mostly because it is a complex subject with many components.  I hope you will read it.

Note:  This article addresses pets and companion animals, fully trained service dogs may be an exception.

 

External sources:

https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/downloads/is10comp.pdf  FEMA Course:  Animals in Disasters, Module A  Awareness and Preparation

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/pet-disaster-preparedness.html
American Red Cross

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/make-disaster-plan-your-pets
Humane Society

https://thecomplement.info/2021/09/14/pet-preparedness/
by Victoria Gorrell, based on https://www.ready.gov/pets

Evacuations and Pets

Most of us have had the experience of combining two good ideas or actions, only to find out that the combination produces more problems than obvious benefits.  Will this be the case with proposed evacuation of pets and pet owners in response to a wildfire threat to RVM?

Right Thing #1:  Having pets.  There is abundant evidence that people with pets are, on average, more mentally, physically, and socially healthy.  Most retirement and care facilities encourage permanent or surrogate pets.

Right Thing #2:  Emergency preparedness and disaster response.  People, organizations, and communities that have plans and equipment to deal with dangerous and disruptive events are better positioned to survive and recover than are those without preparation.

What about emergency preparedness with pets included in the mix?  Well, that can get a little tricky.  This article looks at some of the issues at Rogue Valley Manor, a pet-friendly retirement community that is working to improve its level of emergency preparedness.

Background:  In September of 2020, the Almeda fire forced a first-ever evacuation of RVM.  At that time there was no recommended response option but to leave the campus (although some residents chose not to do so).  The evacuation was accomplished successfully, with no resident or staff losses or injuries.  An immense amount of credit is due to RVM management and staff for accomplishing this, much of which had to be improvised on the fly.

However, there were many lessons learned.  Communication was a problem.  The total evacuation required several hours – if the fire had continued moving north with the speed and intensity it demonstrated in the Ashland to Talent stretch, the outcome might have been far less favorable.  Occupants of the licensed facilities were transported substantial distances – successfully, but that is not the most desirable scenario.  Residents were scattered widely, with many finding refuge at the Country Club, some at the Expo, and others farther north or just car-camping.

RVM, in consultation with the Medford Fire Department, has since improved fire safety on campus and developed a different plan for responding to wildfire evacuation alerts.  This plan (https://thecomplement.info/2021/08/23/rvm-campus-evacuation-guidelines-for-fire/) is based on the assessment of the high-rise (tower) buildings as being able to provide protection against any wildfire threat.  The present plan is that, in the event of a wildfire evacuation alert, residents will have the option of self-evacuating off-site, or of sheltering in one of the towers.  Residents in the licensed facilities will be sheltered in the towers, and tower residents will remain in their apartments unless they choose to self-evacuate.  The unadvisable option to stay in place rather than evacuating anywhere will still exist.

OPINION:  This is a major improvement in emergency management planning.  It leaves in place all of the options that residents had before, and adds the potential for providing local shelter with travel of minimal time or distance.  This is not only a huge benefit for those in the care facilities, but also for the substantial number of “independent living” residents who have limitations that would interfere with an effective self-evacuation.

Published guidance so far is preliminary.  Actual implementation in case of a fire evacuation alert will require that locally-sheltering cottage residents be safely moved to the towers and accommodated there, while other residents are concurrently self-evacuating.  In addition, there may need to be preparations for secondary effects on tower residents (discussed in Appendix A).

Provision has to be made for transport and accommodation for independent and for less-than-fully independent residents, and for residents in either of these categories who have pets.  Residents may require assistance personally, or only with regard to managing their pets.

This is where pets and preparedness collide head-on.  In an emergency, resources may be severely limited – from space on the bus to space in the shelter room to the time available to make the transition, and then to the staff time available for assistance and oversight.  It can be, at least for a while, a zero-sum game – resources allocated to one group or purpose are subtracted from those available to another.

ASSUMPTIONS (= evidence-based opinions):  RVM tower shelters will not be typical evacuee shelters, but will be protective bunkers, potentially in the midst of the fire.  Therefore:

  • The entire facility will be under the control of an Incident Commander.
  • In addition to resident evacuees, the towers will have to accommodate RVM staff who remain on site.
  • Traffic and space around the buildings and on access routes must be strictly controlled to permit access by firefighters and emergency equipment.
  • Due to external hazards (fire, smoke, heat) the building is likely to be locked down for an extended period.
  • The towers are likely to be on emergency power, if the generators can be protected from the fire. This will have multiple implications for both the permanent residents and the evacuees.

Opinions/Assumptions about animal control (a combination of “what I would do if I were in control” and “what I read in the preparedness literature”):

  • Animals and people need to be segregated so that nobody is in proximity to an animal unless they choose to be, and so that animals do not pose a sanitation threat (e.g., to food facilities).
  • Animals need to be confined/controlled at all times. The standard is use of kennels or carriers; whether securely tethered is an acceptable substitute is a local decision.
  • Animals not confined or tethered need to be managed by a handler with the knowledge and ability necessary to maintain control.
  • Housepets need to be housed indoors and where their owners can be with them, in the interest of both humane treatment and owner satisfaction.

The requirements outlined above will be somewhat challenging under conditions of accommodation, but may be particularly problematic in the mobilization and transportation stages of an evacuation.  Appendix A, attached, outlines some of the specific issues that need to be considered in developing the overall emergency plan.

The details of RVM evacuation procedures are still in development, to be completed before the next fire season.  As the legally responsible body, RVM must decide where to place the boundary between pet support and pet control, and how to implement or enforce it.  If possible this should be done with the input and understanding of pet owners – but it has to be done, and it needs to be done with an eye to what may go wrong rather than an optimistic assumption of normality.  It is essential to have plans and procedures that are clear, simple, and easily followed.  Complex arrangements or finely nuanced alternative actions for various situations will be unworkable.

The bottom line for pet owners is to do advance planning and preparation.  There are the three options: do nothing, go nowhere, and take the risks inherent in that; if you have or can get transportation, evacuate off-site either to a specific destination or just to anywhere else; or take advantage of shelter opportunities in the towers.  It would be ideal to be prepared to take advantage of any of those, and very reckless not to be prepared for at least one.

Potential problem resolution:

Potential conflicts need to be avoided or resolved in the interest of both effectiveness of emergency response and overall community harmony.  There are some possible approaches for doing so; all involve resident action or interaction.

An important preparation is to identify the number and type of pets likely to shelter in the towers (those whose owners do not plan to stay home or evacuate off-site).  Also, it would be very useful to identify pet-owners likely to need assistance in case of an evacuation, and solicit volunteers to serve as helpers.

Policy and procedure formulation should involve dialog with residents (both pet owners and non-pet owners), especially those likely to remain on campus either of necessity or as volunteers.

Organizing transport and drop-off at the towers for pet-owners not able to take their animal on the RVM evacuation vehicles could speed the process for all concerned, if adequately controlled.

Identification of tower residents who would be willing to serve as hosts or pet-sitters for evacuated animals (and possibly owners) – either in general or for specific acquaintances – could take some of the pressure off the common facilities.

Formation of a cadre of resident volunteers (possibly former pet owners) to monitor and support the pet containment facilities would facilitate meeting pet and human needs without burdening staff.

Educating pet owners about the needs and requirement, once they are established.

 

Appendix A to Problems of Pets and Preparedness

The Pet Evacuation Dilemma

Animal behavior under stressful conditions –unfamiliar surroundings, close proximity of unfamiliar humans and other animals, and a general atmosphere of distress — are unpredictable and potentially dangerous.  Incident Commanders and emergency planners do not want dog fights, dog bites, cat scratches, pursuit of loose animals, or conflicts between residents over pet management.  In addition, as identified by FEMA, pet allergies and phobias are an issue.  These are all at best distractions, and at worst the cause of disruptions that could seriously interfere with the primary mission of incident response.

Transportation issues

  • It may be permissible for securely contained small animals (cats, small dogs) to be transported on vehicles with non-pet-owners, but it should be avoided if possible. Animals on leash, if accepted, need to be transported separately – from people, and from each other.
  • Large animal containers may be difficult to transport, either in terms of the people required, or of the vehicle.
  • Animals may require more control and effort than their owners can provide [comment: two of my neighbors have been pulled off their feet by their dogs – one sustaining a serious injury – and my late wife was bitten by a resident’s dog while the owner was holding its leash].
  • Issues of traffic control, especially near the towers, will be important in terms of maintaining emergency access. This will be particularly the case if it is necessary to supplement RVM vehicles with private volunteer transport.
  • Guides, and possibly assistants, will be needed at both the loading and unloading ends of the transportation.

 

Appendix B:  to Problems of Pets and Preparedness

Planning and Preparation for Local Evacuation

Supplies needed for evacuated pets are well-identified in the on-line references cited, and in draft RVM guidance.  Further attention needs to devoted to human evacuation preparations, however.  For an on-site evacuation, cottage residents need to know what to take with them for themselves (e.g., pillow, blanket?) as well as for the animals.

The full-service go-bag recommended for disaster and off-site evacuation is not required — basic shelter, food, water and sanitation can be expected in the towers.

Residents should have basics such as medicines, masks (for smoke), contact information and identification, phones, money/credit cards, and convenience items (e.g. toilet articles).

The question of what else might be required or desirable in a local evacuation depends very much on expected conditions in the towers.  Although the final decision is the responsibility of the resident, basic information is needed for informed decision making.  For an on-site evacuation, cottage residents need to know what to take with them for themselves (e.g., pillow, blanket?) as well as for the animals.

Accommodation issues:

For an on-site evacuation, cottage residents need to know what to take with them for themselves (e.g., pillow, blanket?) as well as for the animals.

Tower environment considerations: Resident volunteers who assist in preparation or response, as well as staff, need to understand the probable and possible effects of going on emergency (local generator) power.  This applies to managing tower residents as well as evacuees, and will probably be different for each building.  What facilities, utilities and services can be counted on, and what will be the progression of loss if “load shedding” is required?

  • Emergency lights and outlets – where? Will some be reserved for those with medical equipment needs?
  • Will elevators run? How many?  Where?  If limited, how will use be managed?
  • Cooling and air filtration?   Will it be reliably available
  • Food storage and preparation? Meal provision?
  • Rest rooms (auto-flush toilets, water faucets)
  • Water pumps (potable and sanitary water circulation)?

 

To download a PDF of this article, Click Here

RPG Organization

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Map of North Village Areas

 

 

 

 

 

 

RPG Personnel

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To Download an Excel Spreadsheet of RPG Coordinator information, click here

 

Resident Preparedness Group (RPG)

Leadership Team, 8/9/21

RPG has restructured and enlarged its Leadership Team to achieve several objectives:

  • To expand the group’s diversity, experience, and capacity for task sharing;
  • To provide specific representation of Tower residents; and,
  • To allow some of our long-term members to take a well-earned break

Current Composition

Bob Buddemeier

Dan Curtis

Bob Berger (new resident; see bio below)

Teddie Hight (Manor Representative

Jim Macmillan (Plaza representative)

Ken Kelley

Scott Wetenkamp

 

Bob Walden (phasing out, but continuing to offer assistance in the transition)

Don Barry (phasing out, but continuing to offer assistance in the transition)

Dan Wagner (former member still contributing database efforts, reviews and advice)

 

 

 

Bob Berger Experience

Academic training focused on biochemistry, physiology and marine biology.  Work experience primarily involved in environmental toxicology.  Worked for private engineering and consulting firms, and public sanitation and drinking water agencies.  The last 9 years of my career provided regulatory/ legislative efforts for sanitation and drinking water agencies in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

No direct experience in emergency preparedness or management, but did complete Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies, CORE, training now identified as CERT  ( City of Oakland | Community Emergency Response Team Training [CERT]

Preparedness Info — Contents & Index

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About Emergency and Disaster Preparedness at RVM
Why Prepare?
RVM Liaison
Basic Local Information
Warnings

The Residents Preparedness Group (RPG)
Description and Mission
Organization
Leadership Team
Coordinators

Getting Prepared
Stay home vs get out
Go-bags: Little and big
Cars
Shelter in place
Water
Sanitation
Food
Light
Medications

What’s New in August

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Do you want to get a personal email notification of a new Complement issue or new material?   Email us at openinforvm@gmail.com and we will put you on the mailing list

Past articles are all on display;  If there is a “Load More” link at the bottom of the page, clicking it will bring up the older articles. 

NEWS & VIEWS

Neighbors Together, by Carolyn Bennett
      -Getting to know you…

Putting on the Saddle and Riding the Horse, by Joni Johnson
      -Putting her estate matters in order — for real

Sick of it…or Sick with it?  by Bob Buddemeier
      -More about COVID, but read it anyway

         in Big, Borrowed, or Both

3550:  the Portland Mirabella quarterly magazine (most recent issue)

Mirabella Monthly, Newsletter of the Seattle Mirabella (Current issue)

 

ARTS & INFO 

Heatwave, by Eleanor Lippman
      -Remembrances of a summer past

RVM August – October Event & Entertainment Schedule

August Library Display, by Anne Newins

Three Hundred Cups of Tea and The Toughest Job — (Book Review), by Joni Johnson

The Wisdom of Psychopaths — (Book Review), by Bob Buddemeier

WHEN RETAILERS COLLIDE!, by A. Looney
       –Nit-Wit Newz sells out!

PREPARE

A New Look for RPG Coordinators, by Bob Buddemeier
      -It’s not easy being green!

The RPG — A Summary Description, by the RPG Leadership Team
       -One page, many answers

 

Preparation Basics: Why Prepare and What to Do

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The difference between an emergency and a disaster is that in an emergency, you can call 911 and somebody will come

  • When the wildfire comes, you get what protection the crews on the ground can give you, but you can’t ask for any more — and that may not be enough.
  • When the power grid goes down, there’s nothing you can do to make it come back any faster, or to get electricity before anybody else does.
  • And when the earthquake happens, the State tells us to expect to be without electricity, gas, and water for weeks, and that emergency and medical services will be crippled.  [Note — earthquake link to be revised into a “Hazards” section]

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 YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED TO DO

  1. Self-evacuate.  If you have access to a vehicle and can drive, you can leave RVM.  That is your decision, and your responsibility for doing so safely.  For preparation advice, see the section on Cars in How to Prepare.
    IMPORTANT CAUTIONS:
    1.1  In any emergency or disaster, roads will be congested, traffic control or direction may be non-existent, and driving conditions poor (weather, smoke, darkness, damaged roads).  If there is doubt about your driving skills or stamina, stay home.  Should there be doubt?  Test this checklist.
    1.2  In any regional power outage, or if there is high demand or social disorder, it will be difficult or impossible to refuel.  If you can’t get much farther than you think you need to go with the fuel in your car, stay home.
  2. Shelter in place — Apartments
    2.1  Have at least 3 days worth of ready-to-eat food, water, and basic household supplies readily available –and more if possible.  Even if RVM is able to meet basic needs, confusion and staff shortages will interfere with distribution and support.  See How to Prepare.
    2.2  Be prepared to function without electricity in your apartment.  Emergency power will probably be available in the hallways, but that is not absolutely guaranteed.  Elevator access may be affected.
    2.3  In the event of an earthquake, you will probably be without running water — causing problems with sanitation as well as eating and drinking.
    2.4  Cooling or heating may be limited or unavailable.

3.  Shelter in place — Cottages
3.1  Emergencies other than wildfires  
3.1.1  Stock two weeks worth of nonperishable food, water, household supplies and needed equipment (See How to Prepare), or as much of that amount as is practical.
3.1.2  Be prepared to be without electricity, gas, running water and sewage disposal — this means no cooling, heating, and extremely limited washing

3.2  Wildfire evacuations — Shelter at RVM
3.2.1  In the event that a wildfire evacuation (Level 3) Alert is issued by the civil authorities, residents may self-evacuate (see above) or shelter in the high-rise buildings.
3.2.2  Evacuation to a high-rise shelter is very different from self-evacuation off-site: Transportation is provided by RVM, the amount of material you need to — and can — take with you is more limited, specific preparations for pets must be made, etc.  See the fire evacuation instructions and How to Prepare.

 

Prepare for Disaster at Two Levels —  the personal and the community level.  You live or die at the personal level — but the community can have a major influence on which outcome happens.

For all situations — know the RVM procedures, your RPG Coordinators, and your neighbors.

 

 

ACCESS TO RESOURCES

WHAT YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR

HOW TO PREPARE

 

 

ACCESS TO RESOURCES

Resident Resources — the Resident Preparedness Group (RPG) is a volunteer organization that strives to support 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.  These are the Neighborhood (in the cottages) or Floor (in the towers) Coordinators.  To learn about the RPG and identify your Coordinator, go to RPG — Activities and Organization. Then meet him or her, and become part of the preparedness network.  The network is everybody — you and your neighbors.  The better you know each other, the better your common preparation will be.

RVM Resources —

Information resources —

 

UNDER CONSTUCTION — TENTATIVE OUTLINE

 

Potential responses

FAQs

Ability to respond effectively

[With links down- or off-page to expanded articles, and ultimately (2nd order) to the How to]

 

Spectacular August Sunsets

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Read more

Implementing my Estate Plan- Revisited

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by Eleanor Lippman

About two years ago, it occurred to me to write a “what if” letter to my children. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like if my children were called to the Manor and I was unable to give them any instructions.Who would they contact here at RVM? How would they gain access to my cottage? Once in my cottage, then what? Where and how to begin?

So, I wrote it all out, kept a copy in my “INFORMATION” notebook, and mailed each of them a copy.

And then . . . .

 

Beth Knorr’s “Implementing Your Estate Plan” showed up in my mailbox. I filled it out and realized:

  1. Although it duplicated quite bit of information that was already in ‘my letter to my children’, Beth’s version had additional information, all important. I decided to keep both updated.

 

  1. In looking over my old letter to my children, I realized:

* Dr. Prulhiere is no longer my primary care doctor

* the US Bank branch in the Manor is gone

* my financial advisor retired and sold the business

* my dentist sold her practice and moved to be near her husband

* I have renamed some of my important computer files related to such things as finance

* passwords have changed

* paperwork required by the Manor had not been updated

* and much more . . . .

So, my promise to myself is that every year on my birthday, I will open the “INFORMATION” notebook and update any information that has changed. It will be a birthday present to myself and my children.

 

Peace Corps in Turkey 1967-1969

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by Joni Johnson

This is a series of articles about the Peace Corps as they were experienced by RVM residents.  They will be offered over the next few months.

My actual memories of my time in Peace Corps are limited because they happened so long ago and because I didn’t really keep a diary or make notes.  But what remains clear is how that experience was absolutely instrumental in my growth as a person.  Each story in this Peace Corps series will be different.  One happened around the same time as mine but in a different context.  And the other two stories took place in the lives of the volunteers when they were in their forties and fifties and sixties.  And of course, that in itself would affect a person in totally different ways than it affected me.  But in all cases, as you will see, being a Peace Corps volunteer was a life changing event.

I went into the Peace Corps in 1967 with my first husband.  I was a teacher of ESL at a Boys Boarding School in Izmir, Turkey, and he was there to help the new Tourism industry.  I can honestly say that it was one of the most important experiences of my life because of my exposure to another culture in spite of the beginning of the huge cultural upheaval going on in the United States thanks to the Vietnam War and the beginning of the Hippie movement.  I missed a lot of the major events of that era in the US- The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the Kent State Protests and those in Chicago as well as the trial of the Chicago 7.

View from My Apartment

On the other hand, I was immersed in the wonderful Turkish culture.  Many people talk of their Peace Corps life of fabulous emotional experiences but somewhat physical deprivation.  I definitely had the fabulous emotional experiences, but my physical existence was fabulous as well.  We were paid what others were paid for the same position in the same town where they lived.  That meant that we got the equivalent of $100 per month, which allowed us to live in an apartment in a very middle-class part of town with views overlooking the Aegean sea.

Joni and a Turkish friend and another Peace Corps volunteer hanging out together

It was true that we didn’t have a refrigerator, so that meant that we bought our meat, fruit and vegetables each day at the market on the way home.  It was true that we didn’t have a clothes washer, so we did have to boil our clothes in a large pot on the stove. But if I remember correctly, we made enough to hire someone to clean our house and boil our clothes, so life wasn’t so bad. I remember the daily baked bread being delivered to the apartment, and so I started my day with freshly baked bread and freshly ground peanut butter. I gained 10 pounds the first month on the job and had to seriously rethink my diet.

I worked at the Bornova Maarif Koleji which was in a suburb of Izmir.  It was a boarding school for boys and went from late elementary to high school.  I taught all levels of English.  I had taught science in my real life, but my minor in college was English. However, the Peace Corps gave us the tools with which to teach our students. Unlike many of the schools in Turkey, where teachers had to teach classes of 60 or more students, our classes were more like twenty-five.  We got to know our students very well.  Many of them went to summer camp with us which was lots of fun.

A Turkish friend wearing an antique Turkish wedding dress

My Turkish never gained the competence of those living in more rural areas. Living in a big city, most of my Turkish friends spoke English better than I spoke Turkish.  But the relationships we built there were unforgettable.  I can honestly say that the Peace Corps experience continues to change and affect my life.  I appreciate other cultures and peoples in ways I doubt I would have.  I know it has helped me with jobs.  And I still keep in touch with some of my old friends.

We were the first Peace Corps training group that did not have to pass a “boot camp” requirement. Thank goodness. I don’t know if I could have joined.  The biggest challenge in Turkey was not physical.  It was political.  At the time, Turkey and Greece were not friendly with each other.  And there was some tension around how our government was dealing with the two countries, especially as it related to Cyprus.  In fact, the Peace Corps only stayed in Turkey until 1971 largely because of the political issues and their concern for their volunteers.  One time, several volunteers jokingly said that Ataturk had been Greek.  They were sent home.

Tom and I went back to Turkey in 2013, and by accident, I reconnected with one of my old students. All of a sudden, word was out and I was getting emails from students who still lived in Izmir and wanted to see me when we arrived there as part of our trip.  It turned out that one of them was now the president of a major university, and his friend (also an old student of mine) actually remembered where I had lived almost sixty years before and took us there, gained entrée with the current resident and we got a tour of my former apartment.  I can’t even begin to describe my feelings about that wonderful day.

Joni and Tom with her old students in Izmir in 2013

NOW — In Case of Fire…

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by Bob Buddemeier

After recent experiences and in the midst of another ferocious fire season in the Western US, RVM residents can take some comfort in the dedication of staff to developing and improving emergency preparedness, and planning for effective action.

In the recent Residents Council meeting, Executive Director Stan Solmonson outlined the new procedures for responding to wildfire alerts – and especially evacuations.

Unlike the whole-campus mandatory evacuation we underwent for the Almeda fire, any future Level 3 Alert for the Manor would provide the opportunity to shelter in place in the high-rise buildings for any residents who cannot, or do not wish to, self-evacuate.  Those who are able to leave will be free to do so, subject only to the need to check out with a staff member or RPG coordinator so that RVM can keep track of residents still present.

If an evacuation is ordered, tower residents who choose not to leave (as well as licensed facility residents) will remain in place in the towers.  Cottage residents who do not evacuate off campus will be transported to the towers – North Village and RVM Drive to the Manor, and South Village to the Plaza.

Associate Executive Director Alexander ben Israel has stressed that cottage residents who remain on campus must NOT drive to the towers, as congestion and parking problems would further complicate the situation.  RVM buses will circulate to transport those who need to evacuate to the high-rises.

Is this safe?  We can have confidence in the decision.  RVM Administration has consulted extensively with emergency authorities and undergone Fire Department inspections.  The plan is approved by the Fire Marshall, based on the nonflammability of the high-rise construction and the lack of local fuel and fire pathways.

In an earlier Friday briefing, Stan enumerated some of the precautions already taken – clearing the perimeter fire road, providing irrigation for the hillslopes, removing flammable waste such as compost material, and maintaining an ongoing program of fuel reduction by Facility Services.

In addition to general practicality, this plan will benefit the most vulnerable members of our community – those who are ill, frail, or confused.  They will be spared long trips to unfamiliar destinations under unpleasant and potentially dangerous conditions, and will be able to receive very nearly their normal level of care.

The details of the plans and procedures are still under development, and more information will be forthcoming.  However, we can rest assured that there is continuing attention and effort going into upgrading our emergency preparedness and defenses.