Nicole Cavalino, Nederland. “Proper, Planning, Prevents, P*%@, Poor, Performance,” a dear friend confidently stated as I shared my excitement in the success of Mountain Peak Life’s June 20, 2019, dinner and emergency preparedness panel discussion.

My friend proudly served our country as an Army gunner and like other veterans, he has held onto certain life-phrases learned in the military that have shaped his most profound decisions and their outcomes. Just as he was trained and appropriately stated, the key points from the discussion had all regarded proper planning. Unfortunately, planning for an unexpected emergency and knowing what to prepare for can be easier said than done. Emergencies are often sudden, last for a long time and can leave you vulnerable. Boulder County Office of Emergency Management recommends that all mountain residents prepare to be self-sufficient with food, water, shelter, and a communication plan for 72 hours.  

Eighty-one mountain residents attended the engaging and comprehensive emergency preparedness discussion. All guests received File for Life refrigerator magnets and planning material from Boulder County’s Office of Emergency Management, presented by Nederland Police Marshal Larry Johns. The delicious and nutritious meal was prepared by Nederland Area Senior’s Chef Trisha Graves, and included braised shredded beef, rice, grilled veggies, avocado salad and mango sorbet for dessert with coffee.  On the discussion panel were representatives from Nederland Police, and Fire Protection District, the Town of Nederland Emergency Shelter, and The Food Pantry. Representatives from Center for People with Disabilities and HAM radio were also in attendance and part of the discussion. 

The after-dinner discussion began with brief introductions of the panelist and quickly became an interactive conversation with guests. Hot topics of the evening: 1) evacuation routing with canyon closures, 2) what to pack in your ‘to-go’ bag, and 3) the importance of communication planning. 

Dawn Baumhover, Manager of the Nederland Community Center and the Emergency Shelter discussed “what to expect if you and your family evacuate to an emergency shelter”. Nederland Fire Protection District’s Fire Lieutenant Rik Henrikson and Fire Captain Eric Abramson emphasized the importance of knowing alternative routes out of your neighborhood.  Police Marshal Johns recommended mountain residents enroll in EverBridge, an emergency response system that will inform you of the onset of an emergency and provide you with updates. Our first responders also suggested the use of Twitter and local Facebook pages (if signal is available) and highly recommended having a local and out-of-the-area emergency buddy system that will check on you during an emergency.  

In response to our community’s great interest, Mountain Peak Life will be partnering with the Town of Nederland, Nederland Police and Fire Protection District and the Nederland Community Library to continue the discussion. Bring your family and invite your neighbors to join in the conversation at the upcoming local emergency preparedness events. 

Saturday, Aug 17: EverBridge Registration at Nederland Community Library

Receive emergency information alerts via your cell phone, home, and work phones and by text messaging and e-mail. Everbridge alert system allows residents of Boulder County and all cities within the county to be notified of emergency situations in a variety of ways. Once you are registered, you will receive time-sensitive messages for your chosen locations such as home, work, school, and family.

In partnership with the Center for People with Disabilities and Nederland Community Library, Mountain Peak Life is hosting an assisted registration event Saturday, August 17, 2019, from 1-3 p.m. Volunteers will be available to help register our mountain community residents onto EverBridge. Voter registration assistance will also be available from Nederland Food Pantry volunteers.

Saturday, Sept. 21: Part 2. Emergency Preparedness Discussion 

It’s Mountain Peak Life’s annual Italian Night and we have invited our Boulder County partners and first responders to join in part 2 of our community preparedness discussion. The evening will begin with a social at 5 p.m., dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. followed by a moderator led discussion starting at 6:15 p.m. Reservations are required. Visit us at www.mountainpeaklife.org or call 303-258-0799 to reserve your seat.