Preliminary Safety Assessment (PreSA)

Observe and Report Your Neighborhood's Status

After a disaster or substantial local emergency, how will emergency managers know where to focus their response? The EVCNB has developed the PreSA program to help answer that question. Modeled on programs around the country, the PreSA helps local emergency response officials get a brief, quick and yes – preliminary – general assessment of the damage to people, property and infrastructure. Emergency managers then use this information to help in assessing the scale of the emergency and planning how best to deploy response resources.

How Does PreSA Work?

After a disaster occurs and everyone has ensured the safety of themselves and their families, specially trained neighbors conduct PreSA assessments of their neighborhood. PreSA information includes counts of injuries to persons, building structural damage and infrastructure damage such as burst water or sewer mains, downed power lines or impassable roads. This information is collected and transmitted by specially trained local Yellow Radio users and other residents.

How Is PreSA Information Collected?

Each Zone and PYN Cluster has several PreSA assessors. These PreSA assessors walk their street or neighborhood in pairs after the disaster event, observing from the street and recording the assessment elements on a form. The first part of the form concerns life safety issues – how many people have injuries or other health emergencies and what other emergencies exist, such as active fires or impassable roads. The second part of the form is about damage to buildings in the area. This assessment is about how buildings appear from the street as the team walks by – are parts of the building missing or askew? The PreSA team also notes damage to infrastructure such as power lines down, burst water or sewer lines or leaking propane tanks. Information from the forms will be shared with Yellow Radio Zone Net Controls or others tasked with the responsibility of communicating up the chain of command.

How Can I Be Involved In A PreSA?

First, be observant about your neighborhood beforehand. Know where potential hazards and resources are and how to address or access them. The EVCNB offers training sessions for community residents interested in being PreSA assessors. Assessors learn how to size up life safety issues and environmental hazards that may occur. Yellow Radio Zone and Cluster leaders work with trained assessors to practice skills in drills.

HELP/OK Signs

You can play a crucial role in a PreSA assessment even without training! Assessors use the HELP/OK signs to identify individuals who may have injuries or otherwise need personal assistance. Please do your part to make searching more efficient by posting a HELP/OK sign on your front window in a disaster or emergency. While it’s important to post the HELP sign if you need help, it’s just as important to post OK if you DON’T need help – emergency managers need to know how many households are safe as well.