Please review and become familiar with the following information and the maps on this website and in your directory. Also please make sure that all members of the family are familiar with your family disaster plans, and keep a copy of maps and instructions in each car.

Organization: In the event of a large natural disaster in our area; such as a wild lands fire or devastating earthquake, the normal emergency channels and resources will be overwhelmed. Woodside Fire Protection District has established a program called CERPP (Civilian Emergency Response Preparedness Program) that prepares citizen groups to manage situations locally in coordination with 911 emergency services. Vista Verde is an active division of CERPP and is chaired by Bill Tagg. The emergency sections of your directory contain valuable information to help you be better prepared should a large natural disaster occur (see Emergency Directory Sections – inside front cover).

Each Vista Verde home is located in a Group along with a few of their immediate neighbors. In turn a set of 2 or more Groups make up a Neighborhood. Locate your Group by finding your home on the Phone Tree and Emergency Preparedness Map. For example: Group 1 contains five homes on Joaquin Road and is part of Neighborhood Alpha. Bob Jones is the Neighborhood Leader for Alpha and there are two Back-up Neighborhood Leaders. Neighborhood Alpha contains Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 23. The FRS Channel and Code for Alpha is 10-1 (see Back-up Communication section). Write this emergency information on the space provide on the back cover of your directory. Also located on the back cover is the Emergency Information Check List. Review the check list and be sure all members of your family are familiar with your family’s emergency plans.

Communications: The Vista Verde and Los Trancos Woods Emergency Command Centers, also called EOC (Emergency Operations Centers), have highly reliable communications systems and will be able to contact San Mateo County, Portola Valley CERPP, Cal Water, and the Woodside Fire Protection District. Emergency-related information to and from you is communicated using the Phone Tree. To communicate to Vista Verde residences, top down information starts with the Incident Commander (see table on back cover) at the Command Center (EOC), located at 184 Vista Verde Way (see red square on Emergency Preparedness Map).

Phone Tree: To use the Phone Tree, the Incident Commander communicates information to all Neighborhood Leaders (noted in Blue on Phone Tree); who call all their Group leaders (noted in Red on Phone Tree); who in turn call all the members in their group. Should the Neighborhood Leader not be available, the Incident Commander calls the backup Leader (noted in Green on Phone Tree). If still no contact each Group Leader is contacted. If a Group Leader is not reachable, another member in the group is asked to call the remaining group members. The Vista Verde Emergency Map Key is a single page version of the Phone Tree, excluding resident first name(s) and phone numbers.

Actions: Your first responsibility is to your own family. Once your family is safe and secure, report in to your Group or Neighborhood Leader and if possible offer to help others in need. Requests for medical help should also go through your Group or Neighborhood Leader. Medical doctors living in the area are organized to help through the direction of Dr. William Rogoway, Medical Advisor. Minor incidents should be handled in the local area, with Neighborhood Leaders helping direct the use of available local resources, such as first aid and search and rescue. Each Neighborhood Leader has a substantial first aid kit and knows where other equipment is available. If an incident is too large for the Neighborhood to handle, the Neighborhood Leader will communicate with the VV Command Center (EOC) for additional help and resources. The Division Command Center (EOC) will contact 911 Emergency Services for incidents that can’t be handled at a division level.

Bring your emergency preparedness questions and learn more about how to be better prepared by attending Emergency Practice Exercises organized by Bill Tagg twice a year.

Evacuation

Back-up Communication and Your Radio

Calling 911 In An Emergency - General Guidelines and 7-Digit Number Versus Cell Phone