> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Emergency preparedness is as easy as seven steps - URL: https://www.smdp.com/emergency-preparedness-is-as-easy-as-seven-steps/ - Published: 2008-09-09T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T20:57:11.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Business, Malibu, #archive-import *Locals can win prizes for being prepared* *By CHRISTINA YOON Special to the Daily Press* SEVENTH STREET Preparing for the next big natural disaster can be as easy as a jar of peanut butter, a flashlight and some Band- Aids. That’s the message that public safety officials and business leaders want to get across to residents and businesses this September, which is Emergency Preparedness Month. “You don’t need to spend a lot of money to be prepared,” said John Pacheco, the executive director of the American Red Cross in Santa Monica. “Many (emergency supplies) are the kinds of things you have in your pantry already.” Pacheco, along with representatives from the Santa Monica fire and police departments, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses gathered in front of Fire Station Number One to provide tips at the kickoff of the third annual “I’ve Got 7” disaster preparedness campaign. The Red Cross has partnered with these agencies to promote the campaign, which encourages residents and businesses in Santa Monica to store enough food and supplies to last for seven days after a natural disaster. The campaign also provides seven basic steps to prepare for a potential emergency. “After Hurricane Katrina, we looked at some of the impact from that disaster and what we could do locally,”said John Pacheco, the executive director of the Santa Monica chapter of the American Red Cross. “We decided to combine resources and launch this campaign for community preparedness and it’s grown each year.” Many of the representatives at the campaign kickoff said that the earthquake that hit Southern California in July acted as a reminder of the importance of emergency preparedness in the community. “It certainly created a lot of increased awareness on the part of a lot of people as to something that hadn’t happened in a while,” said police Chief Tim Jackman. “It’s all too easy to think sometimes that these disasters often get relegated to the Gulf Coast or Florida or somewhere other than here.” For the first time this year, the “I’ve Got 7” campaign is working closely with the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. The partnership reflects the Red Cross’ efforts to send the message of emergency preparedness not just to residents but to local businesses as well. “We have an overnight population here in Santa Monica of about 90,000, but the daytime population is much higher, 250,000 to 300,000 folks who come here to work and play in Santa Monica,” Pacheco said. “One of the ways for us to reach these folks, because disasters don’t always happen after six o’clock in the evening, is to make sure we’re coordinating with local businesses.” To introduce the seven steps of disaster preparedness to Santa Monica consumers as well as business owners, the campaign organizers have set up an incentive program with local businesses. “When we envisioned this campaign, we realized that it’s not always easy to get people to act before a disaster,” Pacheco said. “So we came up with some incentives.” People who fill out pledge cards com-mitting themselves to keep seven days worth of supplies and get the seven items on the checklist will be entered to win gifts cards from participating merchants like Starbucks and Trader Joe’s, emergency kits and bus passes. The campaign is also working with large, local businesses including MTV and the RAND Corp., to promote the message of disaster preparedness to their employees and their families. “Preparing for emergencies is more than just common sense,” said Michael Rich, the executive vice president of RAND. “It’s been shown to reduce the effects of an emergency and to shorten the time it takes to recover from an emergency. That’s what we’ve learned in our research, and therefore we apply it.” At the kickoff event for the campaign, the Red Cross displayed items that could be used in emergency kits and food supplies. Members of the fire department also demonstrated how anyone could potentially save a life by learning simple maneuvers such as using a nearby object to help lift heavy objects that may have fallen on people in an earthquake. “We need to remember that here in the city of Santa Monica there’s only 30 fire-fighters on duty every day,” said fire department Chief Jim Hone. “We’re not going to be able to go everywhere when everyone needs us immediately following a large-scale disaster.” The representatives from the Red Cross, police department and fire department encouraged residents to learn to become self-sufficient in the event of an emergency with steps such as taking first aid courses and visiting the “I’ve Got 7” Web site at www.smgov.net/ivegot7. “The less response that we have to give to people that are already prepared, the better we can help those who truly need it,” Jackman said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/090908-04_01.jpg) (Photo: BY CHRISTINA YOON Special to the Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 9, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090908.pdf?ref=smdp.com)