By Coralie Rogez

Are you sure you can count on your neighbors in an emergency?

Gauri Pendharkar, a 12-year resident of Los Altos who lives on Sunrise Court - a street with 14 homes - contacted her neighbors and organized an emergency committee for her neighborhood.

Pendharkar has been a member of the Emergency Preparedness Committee of Los Altos for a year.

After attending many meetings and coming to the realization that our resources would be limited in an emergency - brought home after 9/11 - she decided to create a “neighborhood watch” for her area in case an emergency should ever arise.

Pendharkar, a respiratory therapist at Stanford Hospital, invited her neighbors to an informal meeting where they exchanged names, home phone numbers, cell phone numbers, names and ages of children, pet status and details of medical needs.

With this information in hand, the Sunrise Court residents now sleep more peacefully at night knowing that the 14 homes are watching over one another.

“It’s a great idea. It’s a good way to stay prepared in case something ever happens,” said Bill Reeves, a Sunrise Court resident.

Sunrise Court neighbors recently met for their annual barbecue, where Pendharkar presented each homeowner with a directory containing the street plan and each homeowner’s personal information.

“If this looks good to others, they too should create an emergency plan for their neighborhood,” Pendharkar said.

In addition, Sunrise Court residents created roles for certain individuals.

They have a designated doctor, a designated woman responsible for the children, and headquarters - the Pendharkar residence - where all informational gatherings are held.

“This is about being there for each other. It’s nice knowing that people are looking out for each other and that help is available in case of an emergency,” Pendharkar said.

Sunrise Court residents will continue to hold their yearly barbecue, at which time personal information will be updated.