SW Strong - Disaster Prevention in SW DC

The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly’s Emergency Preparedness Task Force, commonly known as SW Strong! was established in 2011 to promote individual, family and community emergency preparedness in SW Washington DC.  The task force is Co-Chaired by Southwest Residents Ben Curran and Regina Blye

Our vision is to build a “disaster resilient community” in SW DC, — a community that is prepared and is better able to withstand and overcome the effects of disasters.  Our mission is to organize a wide variety of disaster-related talks, community drills, and other activities to encourage everyone to think about disaster preparedness and to take steps to prepare themselves in the event of a disaster.

Our values include inclusiveness, collaboration, humor, creativity, action, and respect for others and for mother earth.   We are also determined to build a wide network of similar grassroots disaster preparedness initiatives throughout the city.  All of our efforts are done in close coordination with the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, and the DC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

RECENT ACTIVITITIES:

• Organized, in coordination with the American Red Cross and the SW Library, the delivery of “The Pillowcase Project” a disaster preparedness activity for 3rd – 5th graders on May 25, 2022.
• Co-organized and co-hosted with Arena Stage and SW BID, a blood drive for the American Red Cross on March 8, 2022. A total of 35 pints of blood collected.
• Organized and carried out: “Weather the Storm – a Disaster Preparedness and Resiliency Building Festival” in September 2020.
• Organized and carried out a panel discussion on “Climate Change: Why it is a Serious Problem & What We Can Do About It” in October 2021.
• Coordinating with Miss DC to promote disaster preparedness throughout the city — Click here to see video clip
• Hosted Dr. Joe Barbera, GW Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management “In Remembrance of the 10th Anniversary of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake”
• Coordinated and hosted a talk by John Wennersten and Denise Robbins, authors of “Rising Tides ~ Climate Refugees in the Twenty-first Century.
• Organized a Safety Forum with emphasis on Active Shooter training.
• Organized two emergency preparedness mini-exercises, — a hurricane scenario, and an interactive, flood-scenario table-top exercise focused on how community members work together to make decisions about the response and recovery from the disaster with a special emphasis on resource identification, mobilization and allocation. DC Floodplain Manager and DC Homeland Security/Emergency Management Agency Community Relations Coordinator attended the event.
• Organized a children’s emergency preparedness activity “The Pillowcase Project” at the SW Neighborhood Library with American Red Cross.
• Organized a talk on Sheltering and Evacuations Routes for Ward 6.
• Organized a talk on Building A Resilient SW DC.
• Organized a demonstration on Fire Extinguishers.
• Organized a demonstration and discussion on Building Disaster Kits.
• Organized a talk on the Lessons Learned from the 2011 Virginia earthquake
• Distributed disaster preparedness literature to a growing number of facilities, businesses, houses of worship, condominiums, housing offices, and apartments.
• Hosted information table at the DC State Fair and the SW Farmers Market to provide emergency preparedness literature available.