An excellent example of grassroots community responses to health emergencies is the Naloxone program. Community members are trained to administer Naloxone in cases of an opioid overdose. They have literally saved lives while waiting for overstretched emergency responders. We can explore opportunities to extend this, along with basic first aid education into schools, workplaces, through Parks & Recreation programming, and in community. We can explore and support initiatives to involve many more people in programs like Search & Rescue, Volunteer Firefighting, and Emergency Support Services. .

We saw the intense and broad community mobilization when the pandemic shut down broad swaths of our daily lives. Many of those citizen-led initiatives continue to operate and serve. The city can seek ways to support sustainability of these kinds of projects and programs.

This kind of approach will also serve the community to respond to disasters and other challenges. We can no longer rely on any level of government to provide 100% of the solution.

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