Community Disaster Planning: Neighborhood Resilience

When regional infrastructure fails, the neighborhood must function as a semi-autonomous node. This requires pre-distributed communications and skill-mapping.

1. Communications: The PACE Model

Relying on cellular networks (which fail during power outages or congestion) is an operational failure. Neighborhoods must implement a PACE plan:

Tier	Technology	Use Case
Primary	WhatsApp / Zello	Day-to-day coordination when internet is active.
Alternate	MeshTastic (LoRa)	Low-power, off-grid text messaging. 1-5 mile range.
Contingency	GMRS / FRS Radio	Voice coordination (Line-of-Sight). Use Channel 20 (standard prep).
Emergency	HAM Radio (VHF/UHF)	Reaching external authorities/Repeaters beyond the neighborhood.

Concrete Example: A neighborhood MeshTastic network using "Lilygo T-Beam" nodes allows for encrypted text coordination across a 2-mile radius for weeks on a single battery, bypassing the need for cellular towers.

2. Skill and Resource Mapping

Resilience is a function of knowing where the "tools" are before the lights go out.

• Medical: Identify RNs, EMTs, and Vets. Maintain a central "Trauma Kit" (VanFirstAidKit).
• Mechanical: Identify plumbers, electricians, and those with chainsaws for clearing road debris.
• Asset Inventory: Track who has 500W+ solar, 100+ gallons of stored water, or 4WD vehicles. Use a paper-based or local-only digital ledger (e.g., Syncthing on a local server).

3. Resilience Hubs

A Resilience Hub is a pre-designated household or community center equipped with:

1. Power: 5kWh+ battery storage and 1000W+ solar to charge neighbors' phones and medical devices.
2. Water: A 250-gallon IBC tote or multiple 55-gallon drums with a gravity-fed Sawyer filter.
3. Intel: A whiteboard for tracking "Needs" vs "Gives" and a printed map of the local area with critical infrastructure marked.

4. Drills and Protocols

• Radio Net: Conduct a weekly "check-in" on GMRS/FRS at a set time (e.g., Sunday 7:00 PM) to ensure equipment is functional and operators are proficient.
• The "Go-Signal": Establish a protocol for what triggers the hub activation (e.g., "Power out for >2 hours" or "Active wildfire within 10 miles").

---

See Also:

• Emergency Communication — Radio programming and protocols.
• Home Emergency Preparedness — Hardening your own node.
• Staying Connected Rural US — Redundant internet for hubs.