Watching the devastation in Japan, we’re reminded that our part of the world is equally vulnerable to earthquake and tsunami of catastrophic proportion.

And, once again, we are urging residents to get prepared now for interruption of all services – including fire and emergency medical response – lasting as long as five days following a major quake. Consider inviting us and our partners at Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management to teach your neighborhood how to care for one another in the wake of disaster.

Create disaster kits for your home, your car and your office. Make sure that heavy furniture is bolted and braced to the wall. Develop a communications plan with loved ones that doesn’t rely upon local cellular service, selecting an out-of-state contact point to receive e-mail or texts if voice communications are not available. Don’t forget to plan for your pets.

Know how to turn off propane tanks and water, if necessary.  Plan for what you’ll do when the ground starts shaking, and what you’ll do as soon as it stops.  Do you live close to sea level? Plan your escape route in the event of an inland tsunami.

Tsunami generated by distant earthquakes are not a serious concern in this area for geographic reasons. The biggest threat to residents on low-lying lands in Kitsap County is a “seiche” that’s generated by a major local earthquake. The ground’s shaking itself is your best warning to get to higher ground.

Contact us at (360) 297-3619 to schedule a disaster preparedness presentation, or find more information on the web at www.kitsapdem.org, www.redcross.org and www.ready.gov

Address correction

Kitsap County’s Geographical Information Systems and Central Communications are working together to correct some of the long-standing address problems across the county.  As part of that project, some of our volunteer personnel are out gathering additional information such as the length and location of driveways.

Knowing the length of a driveway, for example, will help firefighters determine how much hose must be laid to ensure water supply. This data, when paired with accurate addressing, will improve our ability to arrive on the scene of incidents and mitigate them more quickly.

Upcoming classes

Join us for First Aid, CPR and AED training on April 23 from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Paul T. Nichol Headquarters Fire Station (26642 Miller Bay Road NE near Kingston). Tuition of $40 per student must be paid in advance to reserve a spot in the class, and to ensure that we have adequate enrollment to go forward. For more information call (360) 297-3619.

Car seat checks

Get your child’s car seat checked for free on the second Saturday of every month at the Paul T. Nichol Headquarters Fire Station, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Follow North Kitsap Fire & Rescue on Facebook and Twitter. Find links at www.nkfr.org.