Being prepared is something all of us on this site endorse. We get ourselves ready, get our families ready, and help our communities get ready. Part of getting a community ready is watching out for those who can't get themselves ready. 

In just about every community, there are elderly and infirm. Getting to know our neighbors, asking around, and sometimes canvasing a neighborhood can help to reveal where there are people living who may need extra help in an emergency. 

Here are some ideas that might help your community be better prepared:

• Identify people in your community who might need help during an emergency
• Mark areas of special needs on a map. Make that map available to rescuers or other community support teams.
• Keep a record of pets, medicines, phone numbers and emergency contact numbers for people who live nearby who need extra help. 
• When an emergency does occur, send runners to those special need areas in your community to check on residents living there. 
• Create a volunteer network of people who are willing to take in a neighbor in cases of power failures or natural disaster. 

There are lot's of ways to help neighbors in need.

What are some ways you can think of - or have already tried that protect people in your community?