People Nearby

Start with one person.

You don't need a committee, matching vests, or a heroic group chat. You need one person who'll notice when something's off—and a simple way to work with whoever is there.

Make one arrangement Organize after an event

Before anything happens

Make the first circle small enough to be real.

Most of us don't know every person nearby. That's normal. Begin with the neighbor, building manager, friend, relative, or shopkeeper you already talk to.

Choose a way to check in.

A knock, text, lobby note, radio channel, or meeting place can all work. Pick the thing people will actually remember and use.
Name the few things worth noticing.

Who may need more time to leave? Who depends on powered medical equipment? Who has an animal, mobility constraint, language need, or key to a shared space?
Trade useful offers, not biographies.

A first-aid course, a hand truck, a camp stove, a way to translate, or the ability to lift safely may matter. Nobody has to explain more than they want to.
Write down the arrangement.

Keep it where the people involved can reach it. Memory is talented, but this isn't its best event.

Open the printable inventory Add household meeting places

Useful questions

Ask what changes the next decision.

This isn't a census. The point is to reveal a constraint, a capability, or a missing connection before it becomes urgent.

People

Who may need help receiving or understanding a warning?
Who may need more time, another person, or accessible transportation?
Who should be checked on if power, water, heat, or phone service stops?

Places and routes

Where can people gather without blocking a road or entrance?
Which stairs, bridges, gates, elevators, or slopes could become a problem?
Where will a simple public status board be visible and protected?

Skills and equipment

Who has current training and is willing to use it?
What can be shared safely, and who controls access?
What depends on fuel, batteries, water, or a particular person?

Information

Which official local sources should everyone know?
How will you label what was observed, what was reported, and what still needs checking?
Who can carry a concise message if networks are down?

After an interruption

Build a common picture, then do the next useful thing.

The job isn't to become an unofficial command center. It's to notice urgent needs, coordinate safe work, and pass accurate information to the people responsible for the response.

Good local programs already exist

For fuller neighborhood-program models, see Washington Emergency Management's Map Your Neighborhood resources and Seattle's SNAP and Community Emergency Hub resources. Use the program run by your own jurisdiction when one is available.

Reviewed July 25, 2026. Program names, forms, and official contacts should be checked with the responsible local authority.

Start with one person.

Make the first circle small enough to be real.

Choose a way to check in.

Name the few things worth noticing.

Trade useful offers, not biographies.

Write down the arrangement.