Today we welcome Just in Case Disaster Preparedness Services as a new WSB sponsor – here’s what to know about what they can do for you:

Alice Kuder is on a mission. She wants every household in West Seattle to be prepared for the next, inevitable, natural disaster. Her goal is to see an emergency Flee Bag™ in every home.

A Flee Bag™ (aka, Go Kit or Bug-out Bag) is a portable tote such as a duffle bag, backpack or luggage containing basic emergency supplies to get you through the first 1-3 days following a disaster. And assembling a Flee Bag™ is a first, important step toward disaster preparedness.

“Everyone wants to be prepared for disasters, but many, if not most people allow fear and procrastination to prevent them from taking even the first steps,” Alice explains. “It’s just human nature. It may not be completely rational, but disaster preparedness has a lot in common with buying insurance and writing a will. Everyone knows that they are things you should do, but sometimes we get afraid that preparing for bad things will bring them on. It’s not true, of course, but that fear is still an obstacle. In reality, preparation provides peace of mind.”

Alice founded her business, Just in Case, to help people surmount those common hurdles and propel them toward preparing for disasters.

One means of achieving her goal of “a Flee Bag™ in every home” is to offer a series of free, Ready Freddy Prep Parties at various times and locations throughout West Seattle. Participants are invited to BYOB (bring your own bag) and begin creating Flee Bags™ on the spot with inexpensive supplies she will make available at cost.

The first prep party will be 7 PM Easter Sunday, March 31 at West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Ave SW. The second will be 7 PM, Sunday, April 7 at The Missing Piece Cafe, 9456 35th Ave SW.

Alice is also a residential real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway Northwest Real Estate. She sees a symbiotic relationship between selling homes and making them safe for their inhabitants. Her passion for promoting preparedness is obvious. “The resources for DIY disaster preparedness are easy to find online, but they are scattered all over the internet and none of them do a good job of helping you figure out how to customize a plan for your particular situation. One-size-fits-all emergency supply kits really don’t cut it.”

The Just in Case website offers a combination of free resources and paid services. The free, downloadable resources (e.g. supply checklists) make it possible for most anyone to do their own preparations. The paid services are intended for those who lack the time, energy and interest to do it on their own.

“Just in Case is a truly unique approach to helping with disaster preparedness, in that I meet with clients one-on-one in their homes, and conduct a Readiness Assessment. Together, we review what they have, what they need, what they know and what they need to learn in order to be fully prepared for the next disaster. Following that assessment, we tour their home and property to determine where they can store the supplies and where to shelter in each room if the ground starts to shake.”

But the service doesn’t stop there.

“After the in-home visit, I prepare a customized action plan, dividing the tasks up into manageable chunks over the course of eight weeks. I check in with the homeowners at the beginning of each week to see what they have accomplished, and what’s on their list for the coming week. Most people tell me that this accountability significantly contributes to their success.”

You may recognize Alice as the orchestrator of the free community events Winter Wander Scavenger Hunt and Summer Scramble Treasure Hunt, both of which entice hundreds of West Seattelites to participants each year. Why does she sponsor these events for free? “It’s my way of giving back to a community that I love. I don’t have kids of my own, so my neighbors are even more like family to me. ”

Alice admits that maintaining the “free” aspect is more challenging as she heads into her lower-income, retirement years. She is counting on Just in Case to succeed and produce the income necessary to “keep all these balls in the air.”

“The folks in the Office of Emergency Management tell us that it is likely to be at least two weeks before the public can expect to get any help following a major earthquake. A real catastrophe will require everyone working together and sharing resources, so when one person prepares for emergencies, it benefits us all. I want Just in Case to be a valued leader in our community’s efforts to be prepared, not scared.”

We thank Just in Case Disaster Preparedness Services for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here; email patrick@wsbsales.com for info on joining the team!

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