Step 2 - Recruit Leaders

Who's the Best Candidate

Now that we have a good idea of the households, businesses and resources located in your designated area, let's start moving towards Step 2.

You will need capable, competent people who will be able to serve and direct your fellow neighbors during a disaster. Take a moment to review the people you met who live in your area and ask yourself these questions:

  • Does anyone have training and experience with Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs)?
  • Is there anyone who is already a leader in the community, such as a business leader, city council member, or president of as association?
  • Is there anyone who serves or has served in the military, police department, fire department or as a healthcare worker such as a doctor or nurse/
  • Is there anyone with experience providing care for persons with disabilities, or has experience assisting those more vulnerable in the event of a disaster, such as elder care of daycare

Don't Be Shy, Ask for Help

You've successfully identified the people in your defined are that will make great leaders and will help you to execute your disaster plan. That's a great start! The only thing is that you haven't gotten a chance to ask them yet, or perhaps you're still having trouble finding and identifying leaders for your area, Never fear! Here are some suggestions to locate and retain the best candidates for a leadership role in the event of an emergency.

Two Types of Leaders

Keep in mind, it's extremely helpful to have two types of leaders: those who can help with disaster planning and development, and those who will have a leadership role during the emergency response. Both groups of leaders will be working together very closely to help your plan be the best and most effective in a disaster. having this in mind may help narrow your search.

Get the Word Out

Next, it's time to get the word out. Make an effort to attend community events and neighborhood meetups such as block parties, softball games, town halls, etc. Talk with potential leaders face-to-face, explain what you need and ask for assistance. also, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or online forums such as can be a great resource for posting requests or finding possible candidates.

Doing the footwork to find leaders for your disaster plan will pay off immeasurably in the event of an emergency, and will most likely make you a very popular neighbor in the process.

How many leaders does it take?

As you recruit leaders for your disaster plan you may be wondering: how many do we need?

To answer that question review your defined are map and look at the number of people in your area. Think of putting people into teams, ideally group of 3 to 7 persons, and assign one leader for each team. Tally up the number of teams and that will give you a better idea of how many leaders you will need in order to be an effective and efficient emergency response.

Look at the Specifics of Your Neighborhood

It's also helpful to look at where people are located on your defined area map. Is there an apartment complex where a higher number of people reside? Is there an assisted living facility in your area in which a high number of persons with disabilities will need more help than others? Those types of specifics will help you in assigning most the most accurate number of leaders throughout your defined area.

So, in short, how many leaders does it take to execute your neighborhood disaster plan? As many as your defined area requires!

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