Bainbridge Island is working to become a recognized leader in preparedness in Washington State. Join us in this effort!

Preparedness is an essential element for communities to be resilient and able to withstand and recover from crisis, whether natural or man-made. Due to the level of risk and potential complications associated with being an island community, it is of the utmost importance that the concept of preparedness is embraced as a value in our community and institutionalized among City staff and partner organizations.

In an effort to accomplish the above, staff have developed a new preparedness vision, that Bainbridge Island will be a recognized leader in preparedness in Washington State. Our program is based on FEMA’s Whole Community Doctrine (PDF), which promotes collaboration and widespread community ownership over preparedness.

Preparedness Goals:

• All households will equip themselves to survive without access to electricity, running water, or access to the grocery store for 14 days’ minimum
• All neighborhoods will be covered by a neighborhood plan
• All businesses will be covered by a continuity plan
• All non-profit and faith-based organizations will be covered by an emergency plan
• The City will update the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) to ensure:
  • Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding are in place with strategic businesses and response agencies
  • Authority is clearly defined
  • Role of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is clearly defined
  • Every agency, organization, business and individual will know what is expected of them at such time an Emergency Proclamation is made
• The City will supply and maintain an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which will be fully functional within 30 minutes of a request to activate and capable of sustained 24 hour operations for a minimum of 4 weeks

The Bainbridge Prepares Partnership

The Bainbridge Prepares partnership has made Bainbridge Island the leading prepared community in Washington state. Our volunteer-led emergency preparedness network was voted the Volunteer Organization of the Year by the International Association of Emergency Managers in 2022. 

Since launching in 2011, Bainbridge Prepares has worked in partnership with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department (BIFD). The City of Bainbridge Island (COBI) joined the partnership in 2016.

Our shared mission is to ensure our town and surrounding communities will be resilient in the face of natural disasters. We view community preparedness through a lens of love rather than fear.