Yesterday, November 14, Scott James (founder of BP), Anne LeSage (City of Bainbridge Island Emergency Coordinator), and Jared Moravec (Bainbridge Island Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief) paid a visit to Savannah, Georgia. They were there at the 70th International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference to pick up an important recognition. The Awards & Recognition Committee of IAEM-USA selected Bainbridge Prepares as the winner of its 2022 Emergency Management Voluntary Organization of the Year Award.

The award is presented to one U.S. voluntary organization that during the year made extraordinary emergency management contributions within the United States. The BP partnership was also a recipient of the 2021 Bainbridge Community Foundation Humanitarian Award for its work during COVID.

The award was announced on October 11 in recognition of BP’s work during COVID to vaccinate citizens. During COVID, BP—in partnership with COBI, BIFD, and the BI Community Pharmacy—helped facilitate and operate more than 88 vaccination clinics administering upwards of 38,000 vaccines. More than 500 of BP’s 650 volunteers participated in 2021, helping out with the vaccine clinics and community-based COVID testing site.

People came from all over the county and beyond to get vaccinated at the throughput clinics (many of which were held at Commodore Options School) because, in the words of IAEM, “they were well-organized and more easily accessible than some of the clinics in other neighboring communities.” Vaccine clinics were held almost weekly from January to June of 2021, and then booster clinics were held in the fall of 2021 and in 2022 as well.

IAEM-USA, the nation’s largest emergency management professional association, is a non-profit professional organization representing more than 5,000 emergency management and homeland security professionals for local communities, state and federal disaster officials, private sector and non-governmental organizations involved in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from all types of disasters including acts of terrorism. IAEM provides access to the largest network of emergency management experts who can provide advice and assistance; the Certified Emergency Manager program; annual scholarships; and a comprehensive monthly newsletter.

Featured photo courtesy of IAEM.