Let's Get Ready, Orcas!

Orcas Island is a beautiful and – for most of us on most days – a relatively safe place to live. Nevertheless, we do experience emergencies, most frequently related to storms and wildfires; with climate disruption, these are only expected to increase in severity and frequency. Meanwhile, a major earthquake, closely followed by a tsunami, is not a matter of "if", but "when". Our county emergency management people warn that, when emergencies arise, we need a community-focused approach to disaster response. As individuals, households and local non-governmental organizations, we need to prepare for challenges including loss of power, internet, and phone service, loss of ferry service, disruption to water and sewer infrastructure, and shortages of fuel, food, and other supplies that rely on highways and ferries for delivery to the islands. In addition, first responders cannot be everywhere at once, and in the hours or days before first responders arrive at any given location, we may need basic disaster response skills, including fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Thus, the need for ...

Let's Get Ready, Orcas!

Our Mission: To support community-based emergency response on Orcas Island and in San Juan County, Washington. Earning 501(c)(3) status is the first step toward making positive change at scale.

Goal: $5,000 to cover 501(c)(3) filing fees, legal setup, and board/liability insurance

Our Vision/Mission:

- Ongoing training, education and drills for everyone, regardless of skills or physical abilities

- Preparing for individual and family self-sufficiency in critical areas such as food and water

- Providing community support in the critical period before professional emergency responders arrive

- Developing communications networks using radio technologies such as Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and ham radio that could continue to function when internet, phone service and grid power may fail

- Supporting and cooperating with other groups involved in emergency response, whether financially or through our activities

- Empowering community members to safely and effectively assist professional responders (if and when requested!) by sponsoring training in essential skills such as fire safety, search and rescue, and medical operations, and organizing volunteers to handle tasks that free up first responders for more complex duties

Fiscal Sponsorship:

Since we are not yet a 501(c)(3). Irthlingz 501(c)(3) is our fiscal sponsor, providing tax-deductible status.

For more information : letsgetreadyorcas.org