Know your bloc
A rough headcount, who might need a hand, who owns a generator worth borrowing.
The world is getting weird.
Become a Bloc Captain.
No cape required. Just a clipboard, a group chat that actually gets used, and enough sense to check on the people who live behind you.
Nobody's coming. At least not first.
This isn't about bunkers or ham radios. It's about the boring, unglamorous fact that when something actually happens, the first people on scene are always the neighbors — whether they're ready or not.
- •Smoke season now runs longer than allergy season.
- •The grid is doing its best. Its best is "sometimes."
- •Your emergency plan is a group chat that's been quiet since 2019.
- •The official advice is three days of supplies. The real advice is "text me."
One bloc. One person who actually has a plan.
A Bloc Captain isn't a hero, an authority, or a prepper — just one household on a bloc that's agreed to know the neighbors. A bloc is usually whatever you could reach by yelling from your front door: somewhere around four to nine homes. In an apartment or condo building, a bloc is the whole floor.
Keep a list, not a hero complex
Contact info, meeting spot, and medical notes people are actually comfortable sharing.
Run one drill a year
Ten minutes on a Saturday. Not a fire drill anyone dreads or remembers wrong.
Be the first text, not the last
When the power's out or the sky turns orange, you already know who to check on.
Five steps. None of them take a weekend.
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1
Apply
Tell us about your bloc — roughly how many homes, and why you're the one filling this out.
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2
Orientation
45 minutes, once, on a call. We keep it short on purpose — this is not a second job.
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3
Get your toolkit
Contact-tree templates and a laminated card for the fridge, where it'll actually get read.
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4
Activate when it counts
Outage, heat, smoke, whatever this year brings. You already know who to knock for.
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5
Stay linked when networks don't
Every Bloc Captain gets a MeshCore radio — a small mesh unit that talks directly to nearby radios without cell towers or Wi-Fi, so you can reach your neighborhood's NET team, and the other Bloc Captains around you, when the phones can't.
Questions, answered plainly.
Do I need training or experience?
No. You'll get one 45-minute orientation and a short guide you'll actually use. If you can run a group chat, you're qualified.
What if nothing ever happens?
Then the drills were the point — you know your neighbors now, which was the actual goal the whole time.
Is this an HOA in disguise?
No dues, no lawn regulations, no opinions about your fence. This covers emergencies, not aesthetics.
What do Bloc Captains get paid?
A laminated card and the lasting gratitude of your bloc. That's the whole compensation package.
How big is a bloc, exactly?
Usually as far as you could yell and be heard — call it four to nine homes. In an apartment or condo building, a bloc is the whole floor.
Put your bloc on the map.
Five minutes to apply. We'll follow up within a week to schedule orientation.