In an effort to help its residents prepare for natural and man-made disasters, the City of Bothell is embarking on an unprecedented emergency preparedness campaign called “Operation: Every House Prepared.” Beginning on Saturday, March 3 and subsequent Saturdays and Sundays through March 31 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., City volunteers will deliver 15,000 emergency preparedness information packets to City of Bothell and Snohomish County Fire Protection District #10 households.

Volunteers will be wearing City of Bothell-issued orange identification jackets to simply drop off one packet per household at each doorstep; there will be no solicitation. For those households that are determined undeliverable through the door-to-door delivery effort, emergency information packets will be mailed to those specific addresses.

“Because the City of Bothell feels that a prepared community is a safe community, ‘Operation: Every House Prepared’ is a direct way to provide information that can save lives,” said City Manager Bob Stowe.

“This campaign is already successful because of the support we’ve received throughout this project. On behalf of the City of Bothell, I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers that are participating in keeping Bothell safe.”

In 2006, the City of Bothell received an Emergency Management Performance Grant in the amount of $34,788 from the State of Washington Military Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

Each packet contains:

• A City of Bothell Emergency Resources flyer with contacts for various local services;
• A letter to residents from City Manager Bob Stowe;
• A disaster preparedness and emergency resource guide (produced by the Washington State Military Department);
• A multi-lingual sheet explaining what the packet contains;
• A vendor list to assist residents in locating emergency supplies;
• A volunteer list recognizing the various community members supporting this effort.

Numerous volunteers are involved in various aspects of Operation Every House Prepared. Approximately 200 volunteers assembled emergency preparedness packets and several are involved with the door-to-door delivery.

Volunteers from the Bothell Chaplain program and local faith community, Boy and Girl Scout troops, Citizen Corps, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Neighborhood Block Watch, Northshore School District schools and Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and Bothell business members are participating in this effort by delivering packets in neighborhoods throughout the March campaign.

If citizens are interested in volunteering for delivery, they can contact City of Bothell Fire and E.M.S. Public Educators/Public Information Officers Lisa Allen or Kirsten Clemens at (425) 489-3364. Orientations and supplies will be provided by the City of Bothell.

Although “Operation: Every House Prepared” focuses on residents, an effort will be made in the future that focuses on Bothell businesses and details will be determined at a later date. If Bothell businesses are immediately interested in emergency preparedness assistance, the following resources are available:

• City of Bothell Fire and E.M.S. Public Educators/Public Information Officers Lisa Allen or Kirsten Clemens at (425) 489-3364 or lisa.allen@ci.bothell.wa.us or kirsten.clemens@ci.bothell.wa.us.
• King County Office of Emergency Management at www.metrokc.gov/prepare or (206) 296-3830
• Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management at www.co.snohomish.county.wa.us or (425) 388-5060.