About

About West Seattle Be Prepared 

We are a community-based all-volunteer effort with representatives and community leaders from many of the West Seattle neighborhoods. Our focus is to provide information, identify resources and needs, and to promote communication regarding emergency preparedness.

Our Group Coordinator is Cindi Barker, from the Morgan Junction neighborhood; she now also leads the citywide hub effort (described in more detail below).

West Seattle hub leaders/captains include: Tony Fragada (#1 – Alki); Mary Coucoules (#2 – Admiral), Jon Wright (#3 – Ercolini); Sharonn Meeks (#4- Fairmount); Jim Sander, Sue Wallace, and Wade Harper (#5 – Pigeon Point); Cindi Barker (#6 – Morgan Junction), Ian Gallagher and Journét Wallace (#7 – Olympic Heights); Gordon Wiehler (#8 – Fauntleroy); Jay McNally (#10 – North Delridge); Robert Landis and Johnny Schmidt (#11 – High Point); Billy Stauffer (#12 – Highland Park Improvement Club); and Ellen West and Delores Kannas (#13 – Alaska Junction), and Anna and Howie Churchill (#14 – Peace Lutheran). Our team includes Deborah Greer and Karen Berge (marketing, outreach, social media, and website); and Ron Zuber, Shane Marr and Gene Yotsuuye (Radio Operations).

Members from our West Seattle team meet monthly with the Seattle Office of Emergency Management and the leaders from similar groups in other neighborhoods. West Seattle, Queen Anne – Magnolia – Interbay, and Wallingford initially piloted the effort to establish emergency communication hubs in Seattle. You can find more information about this leadership team (dubbed the ‘Hub Caps’) on our Other Communities page. Starting in 2010, this group has organized twice-yearly emergency communication hub summits and we work together throughout the year on several citywide preparedness drills. Visit our blog for details and photos of these activities!

Our early West Seattle efforts were sponsored by the Southwest and the Delridge Neighborhood District Councils. In 2009, we were one of 3 neighborhoods that received direct funding from the city of Seattle to complete the radio equipment and Go Kits for our hubs. In 2011, we received a Small Sparks neighborhood matching fund grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to cover our website hosting costs.

NOTE: Please contact us if you are interested in helping or if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for improving our website. We can also always use more help. If you can’t help on an ongoing basis, please consider volunteering at a hub immediately following a disaster; just show up!