The goal of this important community event is to build up confidence in responding to emergencies.

At this event, you’ll brainstorm some potential emergencies in your community and discuss reasons for their occurrence. You’ll also teach residents how to deal with those situations (e.g. fire extinguisher training, cooking fire training, first aid, etc.)

Bring in the Experts

Arrange small talks by firefighters, paramedics, cops, ER staff, or other professionals. At the end of the talks, arrange Q&A sessions. 

***BONUS*** You can also design a quiz of all the information covered in the talks then give away cool prizes like certificates, badges, or freebies to those who score the highest on the “test.”

Here are some of the most common home emergencies to discuss with your residents:

• Power blackout or power failure. Teach residents how to check breakers if their power goes out. For prolonged blackouts, give tips for icing foods and/or throwing out the fridge and freezer items.

• Gas leak. Inform residents about the signs and safety procedures for gas leaks. Inform residents how to minimizing dangers and losses. Install carbon monoxide detectors in apartments.

• A grease fire in the kitchen. Teach and/or show residents (with the help of your local fire department) how to put out a grease fire in the kitchen.

• Teach other fire safety. Hold a mock fire drill. Show residents the best places to gather in case of a fire emergency. Teach residents how to prevent home fires and use your community fire extinguishers. Remind residents about the proper disposal of cigarettes, bbq coals, etc.

• Overflowing toilets. Explain or show residents how to turn off the water flow to a toilet or other indoor appliance. With leakage or overflow, this can minimize damage to your apartment units and save time on cleanup and expensive fixes.

• Basic first aid. Teach residents how to stock a first aid kit. As a bonus event, offer first-aid training on-site for a minimal pre-registration fee.

• Flat tire- Invite a local mechanic (ideally one of your community's own residents) to give a quick hands-on demonstration of how to change a tire. AAA and other roadside help may not always be practical or available. This is an invaluable skill that everyone should know how to do. 

***BONUS*** Create a home safety quiz for your residents in attendance. Residents with correct answers n their tests can be entered into a drawing for home safety- related prizes. Offer a few first aid kits as prizes for those that score well on this after-event home safety test.