In May of 2025, Irvington Green launched Irvington Zombies.
As part of our Climate Adaptation work, the Irvington Green Team identified gaps in our planning and will be working with the Emergency Response team (police, fire and emt) to update the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan later this year. In preparation for Irvington Zombies, we created an Emergency Protocols document for residents and set up a Vulnerable Persons Registry (please share this with anyone you know who might need help in an emergency). We also created an Irvington Neighborhoods Networks Map, dividing the Village into zones based on natural geographic designations and self-organized communications channels, which is being updated as residents provide feedback. Does your zone reflect your neighborhood?
We had 48 registrations with interest from 17 neighborhoods resulting in 7 teams. Teams were encouraged to complete tasks through May, listed here, which focus on self-organizing for resilience. A handful of neighborhood networks have emerged and begun to map out their populations’ vulnerabilities and resources and disseminate emergency preparedness materials. And the work has only just begun. The next game is tentatively planned for mid October with more theatrical haunted zombie shenanigans in mind. Want to get involved?
Hey, it turns out that teens make great zombies! Thank you to the core Green Team crew who helped pull this together - Juliette, Bruce, Kamran, Blaine, Lisa, MJ, Anne, Jasena, Chris, Todd, Laird and Ilene! It is as much a pleasure to engage the community as you volunteers.
You can see photos by scrolling down to our past events here.
In preparation for the event, the Irvington Green Team worked with the Village to create an Emergency Protocols document for residents and set up a Vulnerable Persons Registry. We also created an Irvington Neighborhoods Networks Map, dividing the Village into zones based on natural geographic designations and self-organized communications channels, which is updated as residents provide feedback.
13 Irvington Green volunteers helped from concept to execution with 8 high schoolers volunteering as zombies.
Teams were encouraged to complete tasks through May, which are listed here and focus on self-organizing for resilience. We aimed to inspire rather than prescribe solutions and encouraged creativity -with great results.
We had 48 registrations with interest from 17 neighborhoods resulting in 7 teams:
Half Moon
Zombie game: 10 players. Got extra points for strategizing together!
Organizing: They have many elderly people and several partially populated channels for communication. Having identified the challenges, they are working on strategies for further outreach and engagement.
Main Street
Zombie game: 6 players
West Clinton Avenue zone 9A
Zombie game: 8 players
Cedar Ridge
Zombie game: 10 players
Organizing: They maintain an email list which is updated. For this challenge, they went door to door and collected phone numbers for a Whatsapp group as a backup channel. They distributed the Red Cross Emergency Preparedness list to all homes. They continue to do outreach to collect information on vulnerable populations and pets with links to the ASPCA pet rescue pack.
Deertrack
Zombie game: 12 players. Extra points for collaboration!
Organizing: Two different text chains have been combined into one for the neighborhood. Several members attended our Emergency Preparedness training and shared resource links to all. They created a spreadsheet listing all residents, special needs and offers like use of a generator. They are still collecting data.
Tarryhill
Zombie game: 2 players. points for spirit and speed
Riverview Road
Zombie game: 0 players
Organizing: We adjusted our map to merge two zones as residents have self-organized in a larger block that communicates through a Whatsapp group with 73 members. Messages through this channel brought in additional neighbors and inspired conversations that occurred on the street. Two members joined our Emergency Preparedness training and they are working on getting more neighbors trained.
Suggestions:
“We propose Irvington create an Emergency Support Skills Registry to identify neighborhood resources to tap for additional support during future/potential emergencies. We have done this for the Riverview (Riverview Emergency Resources Survey) and will encourage neighbors to fill out these forms in addition to registering for trainings and engaging in emergency prep activities. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OVU5155abgfumWSBWI_dy4btUamZJa3fME6kZfvtWRs/edit
Emergency Preparedness Liaison and Committee: We additionally propose that each neighborhood/zone/team identify/appoint/volunteer a specific individual who will liaise between the town and neighborhood specifically as it relates to emergency preparedness/vulnerable populations/skills, etc. The Committee should comprise all of the Liaisons and relevant town officials.
“You guys live near each other so we could have playdates.”
“I got to know my neighbors on a new level. XX will definitely solve problems in an emergency!"