JEPP Publicity/Recognition

[2021] JEPP was been cited once more as a model disaster prep community initiative, and information about its work has once again been openly shared to facilitate similar undertakings. Click on this blue boldfaced heading, The Earthquake and Tsunami Community Disaster Cache Planning Guide to access a comprehensive, 222-page document published on May 28, 2021 by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Joyce Emergency Planning and Prep (JEPP) is prominently featured in the guide, which has been described as the Encyclopedia Britannica of how to prepare a community for the Big One.

In the fall of 2020, its author, Sue Graves, invited JEPP to submit information about its preparations for Cascadia. In this guide, she has combined Joyce data with case studies from ten Coastal Communities in California and Oregon which have developed similar programs. Communities cited in the guide include: Coastal HOA Cache; Coos Bay, Eagles Nest HOA; Eastside CERT; Gearhart, Lincoln County Schools; Safe Haven Hill in Newport, Seaside and Tillamook County (all in Oregon); and Berkeley, CA. Graves distilled information from each community into a four-step process that any community can use to build a disaster cache. The steps cover Design, Implementation, Maintenance and Deployment.

Nine appendices provide sample equipment lists, sample budgets and supply lists, case studies with lessons learned, cost estimates, sample written agreements and operations plans. JEPP’s major contributions to the guide include the Joyce Case Study (pg. 110), its founding documents, resolutions and agreements (pg.140), its water treatment plants (pg. 151), toilet paper strategy (pg.156), its sample budget for insulating a container (pg. 161) and its mortuary plan (pg. 203 & 214).

The beauty of this Planning Guide is the wealth of information contained in one book. All communities featured understand they will be isolated by the CSZE. While estimates vary as to how long it will take help to arrive, all have decided to prepare. How to organize preparations runs the spectrum from non-profit volunteer organizations to publicly funded county and school district groups. The common denominator for each one’s success is the leadership and dedication of the members of each group.

[2018] Click the boldfaced title at right to view the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) news special report, "The US town prepping for a 'devastating' disaster," a video by Colleen Hagerty about JEPP's preparations. The video, first broadcast on May 2, 2018, addresses "the big one" - an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude forecast to hit our tiny town of Joyce hard at any time. The threat that has begun to unite neighbors who have begun to educate one another about taking prudent precautions, and cooperatively develop plans, and cache food, supplies, materials and equipment. It's all about hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.

[2018] On April 26, 2018, Jim and Donna Buck and four others received 2018 Clallam County Community Service Awards for making a difference in their communities in diverse ways. The awards were bestowed in a ceremony at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Angeles. Rob Ollikainen wrote in the Peninsula Daily News that a blue-ribbon judging committee picked the winners from 17 nominations made by individuals, clubs, churches, businesses and other organizations. The criteria included longevity of the project, number of people affected, time commitment and whether the candidate “made a lasting contribution to the quality of life in our community.” The Bucks were honored for their work with Joyce Emergency Planning and Preparation (JEPP), which is helping Joyce and other communities prepare for the magnitude-9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake that scientists say will occur in the not too distant future. The award was bestowed 17 days after Jim Buck received the 2018 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award for disaster preparation and emergency response. Donna stated that they spent their time helping Clallam County citizens prepare for a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake because it is the “right thing to do.” Click here to read reporter Rob Ollikainen's PDN article about the event and Clallam County's 2018 Community Service Award Recipients.

[2018] On April 9, 2018, Jim Buck was selected by Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee, as the recipient of the 2018 Governor's Volunteer Service Award, Disaster Preparedness and Response Category. The governor wrote, "It's always a delight to recognize citizens who are making a positive difference in communities throughout our state," adding, "When you volunteer, you become part of something greater than yourself and add to the strength and resilience of our communities and friends in need. I applaud your spirit of action, which speaks volumes about your character and priorities and reminds us that people of vision and compassion can and do make a difference in our world ... I am inspired by your selflessness and hope your example will motivate others to give back to their communities in a meaningful way. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, and congratulations on an honor well deserved." Click here to read Jim's Governor's Volunteer Service Award citation.

[2018] Click the boldface title at right to read the Peninsula Daily News article, "Peninsula residents told how to shelter at home after big quake," written by Rob Ollikainen. The article reports on a February 2, 2018 presentation by Jim Buck to an overflow crowd of nearly 400 packed in the Port Angeles library to gather tips on how to shelter at home after a major earthquake. British Broadcasting Company video journalist, Colleen Hagerty, documented the presentation and spent the day touring the Joyce are with Jim.

[2017] Joyce’s JEPP group received FEMA's 2017 Individual and Community (ICP) Honorable Mention Award, and was cited as a Community Preparedness Champion in September of that year. The award recognized JEPP’s innovative practices and its contributions toward strengthening the Joyce community to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. FEMA’s awards program “helps to generate conversation at the neighborhood level, provides models of preparedness programs, and demonstrates how to implement preparedness programs in any community.”

[2017] KING 5 aired a Special Report on November 20, 2017 which included a video reporting on progress being made in Clallam County and Joyce. The spot featured Jim Buck, Penny Linterman and Judy Harvey discussing the need for preparedness and matters associated with the call to do what one can to shelter in place for up to 30 days and gather supplies to enable safe and secure camping in your house. Why prepare, Joyce's JEPP reps were asked? The concern, they shared, was that the area would be seriously disrupted by a mega quake. Bridges and roads would be damaged or would likely collapse, create isolated micro-islands which would need to survive on their own for weeks. The King 5 spot urged viewers to be ready to camp in their homes following a major earthquake, recommending folks gather essentials in advance, including sufficient clean water, a portable toilet and a weather radio.