When most of us think about disaster preparation, we think about mass food storage and survival gear. But when it comes to your average disaster, knowing your neighbors and having a ‘MacGyver’ mindset is just as important. That was one of the messages that disaster preparedness trainer Ana-Marie Jones (aka ‘Ms. Duct Tape’) gave to a workshop in Oakridge last June. 30 people attended the workshop including community leaders, agency partners, nonprofit staff, and local public. Most of them were part of the Oakridge-Westfir Community Disaster Readiness Group (CDRG). The CDRG has been meeting since May 2023 to build skills that can help first responders with disaster response, and this training was a big first step.