2. CREATING A SPACE
OBJECTIVES:
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Identify operations in your plan that may need a physical space.
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Identify spaces in your community that may be used before, during, and after an emergency.
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Learn what to look for when considering including a physical space in your plan.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
What are some ways your community may use a space before, during, and after an emergency?
Before (preparedness):
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Host preparedness events
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Conduct outreach
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Build visibility
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Create hub for posting resources and information
After (response):
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Information hub
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Point for collecting/distributing goods
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Volunteer reception site
TO DO:
Refer to the maps that you have included in your plan. Maps can be very helpful in identifying spaces that are spread out throughout your community. Look for spaces that are out of potentially dangerous areas (such as evacuation zones) and that are central to the population you serve.
Using your plan and maps think about what operations you may want to activate during a response and identify spaces that would work. Add them to your resource directory.
Consider the following questions:
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Is the space ADA-accessible?
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Is it a familiar space to people in your community?
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How many people can it hold?
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Who owns it? Would the owner be open to joining your emergency network?
RESOURCES:
NY Rising Community Center Program:
Funded by New York State, this program identified community centers that demonstrated capacity to support local recovery efforts. Check to see if there is a NY Rising Community Center in your area by visiting stormrecovery.ny.gov.
Check out the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities (adachecklist.org) which offers guidance on how to evaluate the accessibility of structures/ spaces that you may want to use during an emergency response.
Many community spaces may be used before, during, and after an emergency. NYCEM asks communities to identify spaces and submit them through the Share Your Space Survey (nyc.gov/ shareyourspacesurvey). Not only will you help pre-identify spaces for NYCEM to host operations in your community, you can also identify meeting/ training space(s) and information hubs for your community plan.
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