Virginia S Nicols

No getting around it, preparedness is more on people's minds than ever before!

So I'm adding to my Emergency Preparedness collections week by week, hoping to spread the word as widely as possible and to GET PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION, not just read about it.

Since publishing the first of my books, I've been pretty thrilled with the responses. Here is some of what people are saying about EmergencyPlanGuide.org & The Neighborhood Disaster Survival Series . . .

“I just want to tell you how fabulous and helpful your written material is and thank you for all the effort you are making to keep us all safe, no matter what.” Elizabeth F., Dearborn, MI

“You may have saved lives emailing people about this video.” Mary W., La Verne, CA

“Thank you so much for all your time and effort to produce your advisories and offer them to the public on your website.” Judie S. Arcata, CA

“ . . . reminding us that disaster planning doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.”

Amazon Review

“I felt like she was sitting across from me having a cup of tea as we discussed the needs, the strategies, and the guidelines to being prepared and having a team with whom to do it.” Amazon Review

“Helpful to any community trying to add a new committee or a new activity designed to pull the people together.” Amazon Review

“Approach is warm and conversational, but the content is amazingly thorough and comprehensive.” Amazon Review

“Manages to convey the seriousness of the topic without trying to frighten the reader” Amazon Review

“I found that the advice penned for residents . . . should be made mandatory reading for the staff as well.” “Amazon Review

“We have already implemented some of the suggestions in the book with great results!” Amazon Review

“We have a small commercial district and this looks like a great tool to open a conversation with them.” Ann P., Vancouver, BC

“ . . .your awesome water bottle idea! It just seems like the perfect ice-breaker for renewing contact with residents and encouraging self-sufficiency in our neighborhood!” Bernie J., North Florida

“We find the articles that we can pass on to the community the most useful.” Lamorinda CERT, CA

“I appreciate your product reviews and hints and tips on how to get others involved in emergency planning. “ Paula B., Seattle WA

All these kind remarks have encouraged me, and my partner Joe, to keep rolling with the series -- and to add the new Mini-Series. Keep watching for more!

In the meanwhile, here's more about me personally. As a kid, I was a strong student but equally interested in hunting on the weekends. (I carried a double-barrel 20 gauge and according to my dad, was really quick off the mark!) In college, I took up fencing, went to France and won a local challenge d’escrime! (The prize? A bottle of wine, of course.)

Later I gave up hunting for travel. I trained and taught in a wide variety of settings and languages, and ultimately realized that I could get wider and sometimes even better results by writing.

My first book was advice for the people I was counseling about early (forced) retirement. (Guess what? That book, published in 1992 as part of a series sponsored by the organization of Certified Financial Planners, was translated into Chinese (!) and shows up today on Amazon! I do not recommend that you rely on it today!)

As a result of that first book, I was pulled into direct marketing copywriting for financial services, and later became familiar with a wide variety of businesses – real estate, insurance, solar, and disaster recovery. It was an exciting and successful period; I have over a dozen shiny (but dusty) top industry awards stashed in the library.

Everything came into new focus when my partner Joe Krueger and I landed in Southern California, practically on top of the San Andreas Fault. We realized there was a lot to be done to get ready for the upcoming earthquake. And, we wanted to get our neighbors ready, too.

Now, nearly 20 years later, we have taken CERT and Red Cross trainings, laid in emergency supplies including a couple of HAM radio set-ups, created a website with over 400 how-to articles on all aspects of emergency planning, and helped shape a team of like-minded neighbors.

During this time, we’ve relied on all kinds of people and resources for help – but nowhere could we find much on the nitty-gritty of building a local neighborhood emergency response team. So, we decided to write the book ourselves. That is, I did the writing and Joe did the critiquing. (Maybe next time around we’ll switch roles.)

Actually, we decided on a series, aimed at helping self-directed folks in apartment complexes, in mobilehome parks, and in single family neighborhoods to organize neighbors for a more resilient community. We have already expanded the community-approach to apply to small businesses. We've recently started a second series of short, easy-to-read booklets that focus on just one aspect of preparedness.

We've lived long enough to know there’s an emergency just around the corner – but being ready for it takes away a lot of the fear. In fact, being ready and knowing others around you are ready gives everyone a certain sense of pride and confidence.

If you’re at any stage of personal preparedness, or of organizing a team, you’re invited to visit our website at https://emergencyplanguide.org. You’re bound to find something there to add to your knowledge.

Our mantra: “The more everyone around us is prepared, the safer we all will be.”