Connections + Information = Community Resilience

April 18^th marks the 108^th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Although very few of us have a first-hand memory of what remains one of California’s most significant catastrophes, every April many of us think about the what ifs with regard to earthquakes.

DEM dressed for last year’s commemoration ceremony.

But actual emergencies look more like people coming together than communities falling apart. And at the heart of the matter is being connected…connected in your affinity groups…connected in your community…connected in your neighborhoods.  And a connected and informed community is a resilient and strong community.

Today SF72 announced a partnership with Nextdoor, (nextdoor.com), the private social network for neighborhoods. With Nextdoor, San Francisco residents can join private neighborhood websites that make it easy to connect with neighbors and communicate about crime and safety, local service recommendations, lost pets, and emergency plans. SF72 will use Nextdoor to share emergency preparedness tips and help connect neighbors before San Francisco faces an emergency situation. SF72 also can share emergency alerts to affected neighborhoods through Nextdoor.

Each San Francisco neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor websites, and the City will not be able to access residents’ websites, contact information, or content. San Francisco residents interested in joining their neighborhood’s Nextdoor website can visit nextdoor.com/sf and enter their address.

So as we think about the 1906 earthquake and fire, let’s commemorate by taking the time to meet your neighbors – at home, at work, or through social networks. After all, these are the people we rely on everyday no matter the crisis!