Your Neighbourhood (NEPP)

Updated on March 06, 2025

Your Neighbourhood (NEPP)

NEPP

Building Disaster Self-Resilience...One Neighborhood at a Time

Did you know the simple act of meeting your neighbour could help you cope in a disaster? By leveraging the links and tips below, we hope you and your community are better armed to act immediately to set up a Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP). When we are in it together, we are stronger! 

Immediate steps you can take toward self-preparedness

Register for the RDN's emergency & safety alert notifications

Voyent Alert! (RDN). This service is local, free, anonymous and you can receive alerts by mobile app., email, text message or phone call. 

Build an emergency kit

Build a kit if staying at home and/or when a shelter-in-place alert is issued. Here's how: 

Pack a grab-and-go-bag

Pack a grab bag if you need to leave and/or when an evacuate alert is issued). Here' how:

Stock water and food

Understand how you and your family can prepare

The RDN Emergency Preparedness Workbook explains how you and your family can prepare for major emergencies. The Workbook includes sections on earthquakes, power outages, forest fires, floods, how the elderly and the disabled can access their needs, and much more.

Make your home emergency plan  

Plan for your pet(s)

Of course, you love your pet(s)! Planning is essential - it could save your pet's life and make yours much easier during an emergency. Learn more about planning for your pet(s) in an emergency. 

Understand local hazards  

Check conditions  

Next steps: setting up your own Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program 

Distribute the above information to your neighbours

When you've completed the steps outlined above, tell you neighbours about what you did, why and how they can do it! 

Access more hazard- and circumstance-specific guides made available by Province of BC

Access PreparedBC emergency guides and resources. Download everything from home emergency plans, hazard-specific guides, circumstance-specific guides and preparedness presentations to social media packages. 

Present/host the personal preparedness workshop in your community

Get a head start by downloading PreparedBC's pre-built Preparedness presentation. 

Issue a call-to-action/fun community challenge (with a deadline!) in your community  

Your call-to-action can follow the steps outlined in the Immediate steps you can take toward self-preparedness section above, e.g., 

Review and share the regional Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program Manual

Topics covered include: 

  • Why have a NEPP
  • Where to start
  • Developing you plan
  • Identify neighbourhood skills and responsibilities
  • Establish NEPP leadership
  • Identify resources
  • Response activities
  • Neighbourhood and personal safety principals
  • Map your neighbourhood
  • Stay in touch and update
  • Recovery
  • Build resilience and sustainability 

Distribute the provincial In It Together: Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness guide

Topics in the In it Together guide by PreparedBC include:

  • Step 1: Complete the Prepared BC: Home Preparedness guide 
  • Step 2: Meet you neighbours
  • Step 3: Identify a safe meeting place
  • Step 4: Assign responsibilities
  • Step 5: Map your street
  • Step 6: Stoe this guide
  • Step 7: Keep in touch
  • Step 8: Review and update sample forms and template 

Take free FireSmart training 

Connect with other NEPP groups within the region

Using the RDN GetInvolved NEPP map place a pin on your neighbourhood and describe where your NEPP team is at in terms of Emergency Preparedness. You can use the map if you're just getting your NEPP started or if you're an established program and you'd like to help others. Please note, the map is public - you do not have to share any personal information in your description. 

Participate in regional preparedness/awareness events 

Examples of national emergency preparedness events are: 

family