Emergency Preparedness Resources

Unlike traditional environmental groups or green teams, the scope of Transition Town groups easily stretches to include practical actions like emergency preparedness, extreme weather preparedness and resilience.

Individual Action is an Easy Way to Start

Transition US is currently development a workbook, Ready Together: A Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Handbook, scheduled for release in 2020. Like Transition Streets, this workbook can be done by a family or with neighbors, providing step-by-step actions you can take to become more prepared. In the meantime, if you would like to begin taking action on personal preparedness, take a look at the preparedness email series on the Transition Longfellow website. They will guide you step by step in gathering resources and putting a plan in place.

You can also find classes on emergency preparedness offered through:

These are great resources, but don’t forget your emotional needs. When faced with a crisis, emotional distress, fear and grief can make it difficult to take right action. Transition groups may create Inner Transition groups to explore these needs using resources from authors like Joanna Macy (Work that Reconnects and Active Hope), Sharon Astyk (Making Home), and Carolyn Baker (Collapsing Consciously).

While not specifically about emergency response, the book My Grandmothers’ Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, by local therapist Resmaa Menakem, offers many simple, practical methods for emotional self-care for individuals as well as groups. It will be useful for all of us to gain a greater understanding of trauma and how people respond to trauma. If you have previously experienced trauma and find yourself reacting strongly to triggering situations, the exercises in that book may be particularly freeing for you.

Who Can Help?

This list may not be complete. If there are organizations or companies you would like to see added, please email the webmaster to request consideration for inclusion. Resources found on this website are for informational purposes only and listing does not constitute endorsement. Transition Twin Cities does not receive any financial support from companies listed here.

OrganizationDescriptionCategoriescategories_hfilter
Ramsey County Community Emergency Response TeamThis CERT program through the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office partners community members and emergency services personnel together to coordinate responses to catastrophic disasters. CERT provides a 9-week training course to prepare citizens to assist their neighbors in the event of disaster. Contact: Email: CERT@co.ramsey.mn.us , Phone: (651) 266-7333Preparedness, Ramsey County, Resiliencepreparedness ramsey-county resilience
Minneapolis Office of Emergency ManagementMinneapolis’ Office of Emergency Management offers a ton of resources on what to do in the case of emergency or extreme weather, as well as resources to increase personal preparedness and resources for after an emergency such as how to navigate flood insurance. Many of these resources are available in …Hennepin County, Preparedness, Resiliencehennepin-county preparedness resilience
Minnesota Department of Health Center for Emergency Preparedness and ResponseThe MDH Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response works to establish integrated preparedness, response, and recovery planning at state, local, and tribal levels. Their website has resources on personal/family preparedness, preparedness regarding public health, among other information. Contact: Phone: (651) 201-5700 , Online Contact Form: https://survey.vovici.com/se/56206EE31CB50E82Preparedness, Resiliencepreparedness resilience
The American Red Cross Minnesota RegionThe Red Cross works with volunteers to prepare Minnesotans for disasters as well as respond with disaster relief when crisis does strike. Red Cross seeks to strengthen communities by improving community preparedness. Contact: Phone for General Inquiry: (612) 871-7676 , Phone to get help: (612) 871-7676Preparedness, Resiliencepreparedness resilience
Metropolitan Council Local Planning HandbookThe Met Council has produced a Local Planning Handbook to help communities update their local comprehensive plans in the areas of land use, transportation, water resources, parks and trails, housing, energy infrastructure, resilience, health, economy and social connection. See the workbook at https://metrocouncil.org/Handbook/Plan-Elements/Resilience.aspxClimate Policy, County/City Plans, Energy Policy, Food Systems, Housing, Land Use, Metro-Wide Resource, Policy & Advocacy, Preparedness, Resilience, Transportation, Waste Reduction, Water Protectionclimate-policy county-city-plans energy-policy food-systems affordable-sustainable-housing land-use metro-wide-resource policy-advocacy preparedness resilience transportation wastereduction water-protection climate energy food boost-natural-systems
Center for Earth, Energy and DemocracyThe Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy’s mission is to ensure that communities and policy makers have the tools and information they need to create just, sustainable energy and environmental policy. CEED researches vulnerability to rising energy costs and the many reasons it is a greater burden in EJ communities. …Climate, Climate Action, Climate Justice, Climate Policy, Energy, Energy Advocacy, Energy Policy, Preparednessclimate climate-action climate-justice climate-policy energy energy-advocacy energy-policy preparedness
Six Foundations for Building Community ResilienceEfforts to build community resilience often focus on growing the capacity to “bounce back” from disruptions, like those caused by climate change. But climate change is not the only crisis we face, nor is preparing for disruption the only way to build resilience. Truly robust community resilience should do more. It should engage …Books/Videos, Preparedness, Resiliencebooks-videos preparedness resilience
Financial Literacy: Disaster PreparednessLearn more about financial planning to deal with expected and unexpected emergencies, like a job loss or damage from extreme weather.Preparednesspreparedness
Transition Longfellow Preparedness EmailsBe Prepared It is easier to make the right decisions when the worst happens if you have planned ahead. Transition Longfellow created an Emergency Preparedness Challenge providing weekly emails for 35 weeks to help members create their own preparedness plan and get resources in place. Transition Longfellow gave permission for …Preparedness, Resiliencepreparedness resilience
Emergency Preparedness Book
A helpful book for families and book groups

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