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20 Community Outreach Activities |
- Use free communication networks: newsletters, website headers, reader boards, shopping bags, and bill stuffers in monthly bills.
- Distribute press releases and public service announcements (PSAs) with earthquake emergency information for the public.
- Conduct earthquake drills in the work place.
- Hold an earthquake mitigation (risk reduction) workshop for small businesses.
- Recruit local retailers to display information about earthquakes and mitigation. Encourage sales events and promotions with earthquake mitigation themes.
- Place corporate-sponsored advertising in local newspapers in support of earthquake mitigation and emergency planning for businesses.
- Work together with your community to upgrade building codes, adopt retrofitting programs, and implement emergency planning.
- Survey area businesses and estimate the costs of expected earthquake damage and the costs of mitigation. Present the findings to these businesses.
- Provide employees with information about how to prepare themselves and their families for earthquakes and how to do mitigation at home.
- Look for presentation opportunities to reach audiences with related interests, such as home improvement, real estate development, investing, or historic preservation.
- Contact local media outlets to recommend programming about earthquake risks and mitigation and to offer expert speakers or guests.
- Design a recognition contest, awards, or designation for businesses that take steps to reduce earthquake hazards through mitigation.
- Ask officials to designate an Earthquake Awareness Day or Week.
- Post your accomplishments and initiatives, as a business community, on the Chamber web site so others, including prospective community investors, know what your group is doing to protect local business and build a sustainable community.
- Place brochures and other information on public bulletin boards.
- Recruit a local TV personality to make a “how to” video for businesses.
- Prepare or recommend a package of mitigation kits for sale.
- Create a partnership with a local college to involve students and undertake studies of local risk or to promote mitigation programs. Earthquake preparedness is relevant to students of engineering, architecture, planning, business, government, law, etc.
- Link websites of local governments or interest groups to QuakeSmart.org.
- Contact representatives of local utilities (gas, electricity, water) to learn and publicize their recommendations for earthquake mitigation, especially regarding gas shut-off valves.
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