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The Normandy Park Blockwatch badge: the Normandy Park police shield with a tree, the sun and the water, above a Neighborhood Crime Watch sign.

Blockwatch

Emergency preparedness and Blockwatch guide

Your guide to community safety and disaster readiness: how Blockwatch is organized, what to watch for in your neighborhood, how to build a kit your family can rely on, and how to work together when professional help may be days away.

The printable guide

All 14 pages as a PDF (15 MB), with the province map, the HELP and OKAY window sign, and a contact list to fill in by hand.

Always call 911 first

In an emergency, call 911. For anything else, the police department's non-emergency line is 206-248-7600.

Save your plan to your account

Introduction

Welcome

Normandy Park has always been a community where neighbors look out for each other. This program builds on that foundation, giving our 6,500+ residents across 12 provinces the tools, structure and connections to keep our neighborhoods safe and ready.

Volunteer Province Coordinators and Blockwatch Captains form the backbone of the network, making sure every household has a direct line to its neighbors and to the resources that matter most, from reporting suspicious activity to preparing for a major earthquake.

This guide covers how the program is organized, what to watch for in your neighborhood, how to build an emergency kit your family can rely on, and how to work together when professional help may be days away.

The Normandy Park Police Foundation sponsors this program. The Normandy Park Police Department supports Blockwatch through training, crime prevention resources, and programs like Paws on Patrol. But at its core, this is a neighbor-to-neighbor effort. The strength of the program is you.

Read through this guide. Fill in your local contacts. Build your kit. Talk to your neighbors.

Blockwatch

Know your province, know your neighbors

In an emergency, when professional help may be 72 hours or more away, these are the neighbors you will rely on first.

  • Province Coordinator

    12 coordinators

    Oversees province-level communication, coordinates with city officials, and supports Blockwatch Captains.

  • Blockwatch Captain

    Serves as a neighborhood's primary point of contact, promoting communication, sharing safety information, and coordinating with the Province Coordinator.

  • Blockwatch Member

    You and your household

    Your role is to stay informed, observe your surroundings, report suspicious activity to your Blockwatch Captain, and look out for your neighbors.

Find your province

Twelve provinces

Normandy Park is divided into twelve numbered Blockwatch provinces. Find yours by address in the Province Finder, then write it down with your Coordinator and Captain under My Blockwatch contacts.

Blockwatch

Your province's safety channel

Communication between Province Coordinators, Blockwatch Captains and residents will be managed through a dedicated part of this website.

Join your province's Blockwatch

Ask to join your province on this site. A volunteer confirms that you live there; then you'll see who leads it and how the province keeps in touch. You'll need a free account.

Ask to join your province

  1. Join Blockwatch

    Join your neighborhood's secure, verified-member-only safety channel on this website.

  2. Find your province

    Find your province, request to join, and start receiving alerts relevant to your streets.

  3. Stay connected online

    This website gives you a secure, private way to stay connected with your neighbors for safety and emergency coordination.

  4. Share

    Share and receive suspicious activity reports, coordinate with neighbors during emergencies, and stay informed through updates from your Province Coordinator and Blockwatch Captain, all on a platform with no ads, no tracking and no visible personal information.

What belongs in the channel

Safety-focused content only.

What belongs

  • Suspicious activity reports
  • Theft, burglary and break-ins
  • Package theft alerts
  • Fraud and scam warnings
  • Earthquake and disaster response
  • Emergency supply coordination
  • Blockwatch meeting notices
  • Home security tips

What does not

  • Sales or solicitation
  • Business advertising
  • Political content
  • Lost and found pets
  • General discussion
  • Contractor referrals
  • Memes or chain messages
  • Personal disputes

Blockwatch

Be alert, be aware, be a good neighbor

When something looks wrong, trust your instincts and report it. See something, say something.

What to watch for

  • Strangers lingering in yards, driveways, or near windows
  • Vehicles cruising slowly or repeatedly through the area
  • Someone testing door handles on cars or homes
  • Unfamiliar vehicles parked for extended periods
  • Photography of homes or security systems
  • Unattended packages on porches (coordinate pickups with neighbors)

Call 911 for

Crimes in progress, emergencies and suspicious activity. You do not need to witness a crime to call 911. If something seems wrong or out of place, call: dispatchers will decide the right response.

After business hours, the non-emergency line goes to voicemail. If you need a timely response, always use 911.

Non-emergency

206-248-7600, Monday to Friday during business hours, for administrative questions, records, concealed pistol licenses and general information.

Crime prevention officer: Officer Erynn Mast, policerecords@normandyparkwa.gov.

Going away? Request a vacation house check.

Blockwatch

Paws on Patrol

Your daily dog walk already makes you one of the most observant people in the neighborhood: you know when something is off. Paws on Patrol simply makes it official. Sign up, get a quick training from the Normandy Park Police Department on what to watch for and how to report it, and your dog earns an official police department badge dog tag.

As a member, you and your dog are extra eyes and ears for the police department. While walking, stay aware of your surroundings and report anything suspicious to 911 or the non-emergency line.

How to join

More about Paws on Patrol

Prepare

Secure your home

Protect your home, protect your neighborhood.

Simple steps for home security

  • Trim the cover

    Keep bushes below window height. Overgrown landscaping gives intruders places to hide. Clear sightlines from the street to your doors and windows.

  • Lock it down

    Lock doors and windows, even when you're home. Put deadbolts on exterior doors. Secure sliding doors with a bar or pin.

  • See and be seen

    Doorbell cameras and visible security cameras deter opportunistic criminals. Even a visible camera mount sends a message.

  • Light it up

    Motion-sensor lights make criminals visible. Install them at entry points, driveways and side yards. A well-lit home is a hard target.

  • Don't broadcast absence

    Never post travel plans on social media. Ask a neighbor to collect packages and check your mail, and vary your lights with timers. An empty-looking home is an invitation.

  • Show your address

    Make house numbers clearly visible from the street, day and night. Emergency responders need to find you fast. Use reflective or illuminated numbers.

  • Show you're watching

    Neighborhood watch signs at subdivision entrances tell criminals this community pays attention. Talk to your Blockwatch Captain about getting signs for your area.

Six critical steps to securing your home

Ready your home for an earthquake before the shaking starts. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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Prepare

Build your emergency supply kit

Plan for 7 to 14 days on your own

Even 3 days of supplies is better than nothing, but current emergency management standards recommend a minimum of 7 days, with 14 days as the goal.

Build your kit now. Store supplies somewhere easy to reach, not in a room that could be trapped behind debris. Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day.

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During an emergency

During an earthquake

The Pacific Northwest sits along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which can produce an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or greater. When a major disaster hits, emergency services will be overwhelmed and roads may be impassable.

Drop, cover, hold on

  1. Dropto your hands and knees.
  2. Coveryour head and neck under a sturdy table or desk.
  3. Hold onuntil the shaking stops.

Do not run outside: falling debris near buildings is a leading cause of injury.

Immediately after the shaking stops

Expect aftershocks. Check yourself and your family for injuries. Put on sturdy shoes, work gloves and protective clothing before moving through your home.

Safety warnings

  • Stay clear of damaged buildings, downed power lines and broken glass.
  • Do not flush toilets until sewer lines have been inspected.
  • Do not use candles until you have confirmed there is no gas leak.
  • Use phones only for life-threatening emergencies, to keep lines open.
  • Never use a barbecue, propane stove, or any outdoor stove or heater inside your home. You can die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tip: your water heater is a water supply

Your water heater tank holds 30 to 80 gallons of clean water. In an emergency, turn off the gas or electricity to it, let it cool, then drain water from the spigot at its base. It can be a critical backup water supply for your household.

During an emergency

After the shaking stops

  1. Make sure your loved ones are safe

    Check for injuries and provide first aid. Account for everyone in your household.

  2. Dress for safety

    Put on closed-toe shoes, work gloves, and a helmet or hard hat if you have one. Broken glass and debris will be everywhere.

  3. Check gas and propane

    If you smell gas, hear hissing, or see damage to the lines, shut off the main gas valve. Do not shut off gas unless you detect a problem: only the utility company can turn it back on.

    • Gas main: turn the valve a quarter turn to off.
    • Propane tank: turn the main valve a quarter turn to off.
    • Only if you smell gas or hear hissing, and do not turn either back on yourself.

  4. Shut off your water main

    This traps clean drinking water inside your home and keeps contaminated city water from getting in.

  5. Post a status sign

    Put an OKAY or HELP sign in your front window so neighbors can see at a glance who needs help and who is safe. The sign is the last page of the printable guide.

  6. Put a fire extinguisher outside

    Set it on your front porch or sidewalk as a shared community resource. Small fires after earthquakes are common.

  7. Go to your neighborhood gathering site

    Once your home is secure and your family is safe, connect with your neighbors. This is when the Blockwatch structure becomes an emergency response network.

Your Blockwatch Captain has chosen a gathering site: a visible, protected spot such as an open garage or covered porch. It becomes your coordination point for organizing help and sharing information.

Form four response teams

  • Team 1

    Communications

    Monitor emergency broadcasts on battery-powered radios and keep neighbors informed of official instructions.

  • Team 2

    Vulnerable neighbors

    Check on elderly residents, people with disabilities, and homes with young children. Provide reassurance and identify who needs extra support.

  • Team 3

    Utilities check

    Inspect gas meters and propane tanks, shutting off gas only where there is clear evidence of a problem. Identify downed power lines and hazards.

  • Team 4

    Emergency response

    Check homes showing a HELP sign and houses with no sign at all. Provide basic first aid. If a building looks unsafe, don't go in.

During an emergency

During a power outage

Wind storms, ice and grid shutoffs make power outages Normandy Park's most frequent emergency. A multi-day outage in winter, with no heat, no refrigeration and no communication, is a serious threat, especially for elderly residents and people who rely on medical equipment.

Normandy Park is served by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Seattle City Light. Reporting your outage speeds restoration. Report it by phone, app or website, not 911, unless there is a downed line, a fire or a threat to someone's life.

Downed power line?

Stay at least 35 feet away and call 911.

Storm preparedness: do this now

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For the latest during a storm, tune in to KOMO 1000 AM / 97.7 FM or KIRO 710 AM / 97.3 FM.

Keep handy

Emergency information and resources

Alerts and official information

Local services and weather

Earthquake early warning on your phone

ShakeAlert earthquake warnings reach cell phones in three ways.

Wireless Emergency Alerts
Sent by FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to every phone that can receive them.
For light shaking or greater (MMI IV and up).
Android Earthquake Alerts
Sent by Google to Android phones.
Be aware for weak to light shaking (MMI III to IV); take action for moderate shaking or greater (MMI V and up).
The MyShake app
Sent by the MyShake app, which you download.
For weak shaking or greater (MMI III and up).

Learn more at ShakeAlert.org

Emergency radio

Tune in for emergency information: KOMO 1000 AM / 97.7 FM or KIRO 710 AM / 97.3 FM.

Keep handy

My Blockwatch contacts

Fill in your details and your neighbors' contacts, then print a copy to keep with your emergency kit: phones and the internet may be down when you need them.

About me
My province

In an emergency, these are the neighbors you will rely on first.

Hard-copy contact list

Include names and phone numbers, and update the list every six months.

Community program disclaimer

The Normandy Park Blockwatch and Emergency Preparedness Program is a community-driven initiative supported by the Normandy Park Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening neighborhood safety and preparedness. The information, guidance and recommendations in this guide are provided for general educational purposes only and reflect community best practices at the time of publication.

This guide is not an official publication of the City of Normandy Park or the Normandy Park Police Department. Neither the City of Normandy Park, the Normandy Park Police Department, nor the Normandy Park Police Foundation assumes any legal responsibility or liability for actions taken based on the information in this guide. Emergency situations are unpredictable, and individual circumstances may require responses different from those described here.

For official emergency guidance, always follow the direction of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical personnel. In any emergency, call 911.