Homeowner’s insurance in a fire zone will be discussed at the Poway City Council Chambers at 7 pm Thursday, Nov. 14. Sponsored by the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps (PNEC), the meeting will address questions regarding insurance renewal or cancellation due to living in a Fire Zone. Insurance options that people may not have considered will be discussed at the meeting, even if they have received an insurance non renewal notice.

POWAY (KUSI) – Preparation for an emergency starts well before tragedy strikes, and there’s a group in Poway that’s organizing critical plans and educating their community ahead of a disaster.

The mission behind the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corp is to make sure residents are informed and aware if tragedy were to strike in their backyard. President Terri Sorensen has turned her home into a hub for emergency preparedness.

“It certainly isn’t just me it’s a group of concerned citizens who have either been through something or don’t want anyone else to go through it,” Sorensen said. “Or they are just interested in getting that information out to people who are in the city.”

The PNEC was created back in 2011 and became a non-profit in 20-17. They divide the city into 16 neighborhoods and assign one person to lead as the main coordinator.

“We ask them to put a flag up in their neighborhood and hopefully they’ve been connecting with their neighbors and this says this is the person to come to should anything bad happen,” Sorensen said. “We wanted to provide education. That’s our main mission and to help residents understand what the hazards are in this area and how to prepare for them if something should happen.”

She tells residents in her area and beyond to have an emergency plan in place and practice to ensure they are ready for anything. If you want to learn more about PNEC you can contact Sorensen at 858-688-3061 or visit www.powaynec.com.

The group meets every other month and is always looking to recruit volunteers. Visit their website if you’re interested in getting involved.

If you missed the  California Shake-Out Earthquake drill on Saturday, you have a second opportunity to participate in the City of Poway Communications drill on October 22nd Tuesday evening from 6:00-7:30 PM.  This will be a Santa Ana scenario with  things like wind and fallen trees and power outage.  We really need our NEC’s to participate with their Ham Operators(HO) and work together.  The City wants to see how well our Neighborhoods are being connected to the emergency information tree. so please call your HO and call in what you might see in your neighborhood if Santa Ana’s , fallen tree’s, power outages, etc.  Please take a few minutes between 6:00-7:30 PM to contact your HO.  Let me know that you can participate or if you still need your HO’s name and number to contact them.

Thank you.

Terri Sorensen, KK6LBD

Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors”

858-688-3061

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PNEC is an all volunteer group that seeks to complement the City of Poway Emergency Operations Plan through a grass roots communication network of neighbors.

Does EVERYONE in your family know how to get out of your home if it is on fire?

Sadly, two thirds of American households have not planned and practiced a home fire escape plan; leading to a tragic statistic:  seven people die each day in home fires in our country.

To draw attention to this issue  and  to work to prevent this tragedy from happening in San Diego, beginning today and through September 29, the Fire Foundation is sponsoring a contest to encourage San Diegans to develop and practice their own Home  Escape Plan.

Two $500 awards will be presented during Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12)

All families in San Diego County are encouraged to create a home fire escape plan…and the Fire Foundation contest winners will get rewarded for it, too!  Contest rules and instructions are available on our website:  www.sdfirefoundation.org.

“Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”.

During an emergency, every second counts. Thoughtful planning can help keep you safe and reduce the stress of having to scramble for what you need most. Prepare an emergency kit to help safeguard yourself and your loved ones from unexpected emergencies like earthquakes, floods or fires. Don’t forget to outline a family plan and practice safety drills before the need arises.

Being prepared means having food, water and supplies to last for at least 3 days. An emergency kit is a collection of basic items your family may need. Since you don’t know when a disaster will occur, prepare an emergency kit for your home, work and your vehicle.

Here are some items to consider adding to your emergency kit.

1. Non-perishable food; nutrition bars, tuna (don’t forget the can opener,) peanut butter, crackers
2. Water – one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation
3. First aid supplies
4. Change of clothes including a jacket, durable gloves and sturdy shoes to provide protection from broken glass and other debris
5. Rope for towing or rescue
6. Plastic sheeting and tape
7. Moist towelettes, trash bags
8. Cell phone and charger
9. Important family documents such as passports
10. Knife, screwdriver and other basic tools
11. Candles and waterproof matches
12. Food for pets, bowls, pet carriers
13. Recreational supplies like games or books for children and adults
14. Blankets or sleeping bags
15. Portable radio, flashlight and extra batteries
16. Essential medications and eyeglasses
17. Cash

Know how to manually open your garage door for easier access out of your home. Be sure to update your contact information with SDG&E. Visit sdge.com/myaccount and choose “manage my account.” You can also sign up for alerts like outage notifications at sdge.com/alerts. Find a host of emergency checklists for home and work on sdge.com/checklist

**The City of Poway is posting this message in partnership with the Sheriff’s Poway Station**

Poway Neighbors, The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has noted an increase in petty crime since the end of last year in the City of Poway, specifically an increase in property theft from vehicles and bicycle thefts. We take these crimes seriously, as they impact our community’s quality of life. Our detective unit is diligently working to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, but here’s how you can help:

BICYCLE THEFT

1. Do not leave bicycles unsecured. Make sure they are safe and secured by keeping them inside a garage or residence.

2. When parking a bicycle in a public place, find a bicycle rack close to a business entrance. If the business has security cameras, there likely is surveillance near the entrance and law enforcement may be able to access information helpful to the investigation.

3. Keep a description and photographs of your bicycle (make, model and color) and serial number somewhere safe and easily accessible. Consider making your bicycle more easily identifiable with personalized engravings or stickers (and keep photos that law enforcement can use to identify your bike in the event it is stolen).

THEFT FROM VEHICLES

1. Bring your valuables with you whenever you leave your car. Take a second look once you exit to make sure you have everything with you.

2. Lock your vehicle every time you exit. The majority of vehicle burglaries occur because the vehicle was left unlocked, valuable items were left in plain view, or items such as tools were left unattended in the bed of a truck.

3. Park in well-lit, well-travelled areas. Thieves are more likely to seek out vehicles parked in areas that do not pose a risk of them being caught.

4. If you park your vehicle in your driveway, consider installing a security camera in a place that provides a clear view of your vehicle and anyone attempting to access it.

Do you have any tips we missed that work for you? Help out your neighbors by commenting below.

If you are a victim of crime, please contact the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 to file a report. If you have any additional questions about avoiding vehicle or bicycle theft, please contact our Crime Prevention Unit at (858) 513-2810.

Brian D’Agostino, Director – Fire Science and Climate Adaptation at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) presented new programs that SDG&E has developed to respond to a disruption of its services at the September 13 PNEC public meeting. Brian’s presentation is available for viewing.

Receive free energy alerts to keep your budget on track

Watch your energy use and costs with email or text alerts from SDG&E. Energy alerts can help you set monthly spending goals, track your progress and get automated alerts to stay in control and on budget. Alerts you can sign up for include:

• Your pre-set spending goal was exceeded
• Your pre-set electric or gas use level was exceeded
• You’ve moved into a higher-priced electric tier
• A weekly energy use summary with all this information plus energy saving tips

How to subscribe to alerts:

• Log into My Account
• Look for Alerts & Subscriptions at the top
• Click on Alerts
• Click on Subscribe next to the type of alert
• Select the email addresses and phone numbers to receive alerts

To learn more, visit sdge.com/alerts.

Save energy at home this summer

We understand that no one likes higher-than-expected energy bills. Here are some tips to reduce your energy use during the warmer months – without sacrificing your family’s comfort.

• Tilt blinds up and close drapes on windows that receive direct sunlight.
• Open windows in the evening to let cooler air in when safe.
• Run your ceiling fan while your A/C is on; this will allow you to raise your thermostat about 4 degrees while maintaining the same level of comfort.
• Enable “power management” on all computers and turn off when not in use.
• Wash clothes in cold water. About 90 percent of the energy used in a clothes washer goes to water heating.
• Postpone using heat-producing appliances like the oven, dishwasher and clothes dryer after 9 p.m.
• On hot afternoons, consider leaving home, and going someplace cool like the shopping mall, movie theater or library.

Check out SDG&E’s one-minute video tips for more energy-saving ideas on cooling, weatherization, refrigerators, home electronics, indoor/outdoor lighting and pools.

If you missed the presentation by Sheila Rinker on the San Diego PHS, or would like a copy, you can view or download it here.