Emergency preparation is just "one of those things" associated with living in the coastal Pacific Northwest. Forest fires, mudslides, volcanoes, snowstorms, very high wind winter storms and tidal waves - it's all here. The risks are something most of us acknowledge . We can work to minimize the risk and prepare for the inevitable, though. The Neighborhood Preparedness (NPREP) group, which works closely with our county's Department of Emergency Management, provides an an easy way to begin and continue to make our preparations.