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CERT Newsletter Anaheim Fire Department Office of Disaster Preparedness 500 E. Broadway Ave. Anaheim, CA 92805 (714) 765-6949 (714) 765-6959 (fax) “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” Creating a network of informed, trained and resourceful vol- unteers with a focus on disaster preparedness and the ability to help themselves and their neighbors during an emer- gency. Spring 2007 [EMAIL REDACTED] www.anaheim.net/disasterpreparedness/cert Fires blazed through the hillsides of A n a h e i m Hills and the City of Orange early Sunday morn- ing on March 11, 2007 when an abandoned, stolen vehicle had been set on fire at the 241 Windy Ridge Toll Plaza. Captain Stephen Miller from the Or- ange County Fire Authority con- firmed that this had been an arson fire and stated that “whoever started the car fire will be responsible for the larger blaze.” With temperatures in the mid-90’s and 25-30 mile an hour winds, the fire threatened hundreds of homes and forced over 1,200 Anaheim and Orange residents to evacuate. By 1:00, the City of Anaheim acti- vated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to a Level II. 41 city employees responded to the EOC to provide assistance and support to response efforts taking place in the field. The Anaheim Community Services Department with the assistance of the American Red Cross opened a Care and Reception Center at the East Anaheim Community Center for the 720 Anaheim residents who received mandatory evacuation no- tices. Overnight accommodations were provided to over 300 residents who were not allowed to return home on Sunday evening. A hotline number was established by the Or- ange County E m e r g e n c y O p e r a t i o n s Center for resi- dents to call for updated information. Throughout the course of the fire, over 800 firefighters, 4 air tankers, 4 helicopters, 115 fire en- gines, 20 strike teams, and 20 handcrews battled a fire spread that blazed a total of 2,036 acres. Only one home received damage when its roof caught on fire and there were no civilian injuries and only 2 minor inju- ries to first responders. By 12:00 p.m. on March 13th, the fire was fully con- tained. Anaheim Fire Scorches Over 2,000 Acres By: Michele Rivard, CERT/RACES Coordinator “Whoever started the car fire will be responsible for the larger blaze.” Captain Stephen Miller, Orange County Fire Authority ---PAGE BREAK--- ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A WILDFIRE? The wildfire problem in Orange County exceeds what can be managed by the Orange County Fire Au- thority (OCFA) alone. The Fire Safe Council, OCFA, U.S. Forest Service, Orange County Sheriff, American Red Cross, and school districts have developed emergency plans to combat threats posed by wildfire. The Fire Safe Council This community-based group is involved in fire prevention and preparedness programs such as: • Canyon Clean-Sweep (typically each spring) • Federal Grants Program • List of residents who may need emergency assistance • Livestock evacuation programs • Emergency communications systems • Fire safety bulletins • Fire safety patrols during high fire danger (red flag) warnings • Integration with fire incident commanders Before the Fire Make a Kit • Keep some old shoes and flashlights handy for a night evacuation. • Keep the six “P’s” ready in case an immediate evacuation is required: 1. People and Pets 2. Papers, phone numbers and important documents 3. Prescriptions, pills and eyeglasses 4. Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia 5. Personal computer (information on hard drives and disks) 6. “Plastic” credit cards and cash) Make a Plan • Keep your car’s fuel tank full and park facing out • Have a family emergency plan and re-unification plan For more information and supplies to include in your kit and emergency plan, visit www.anaheim.net/disasterpreparedness. For details, visit www.firesafecouncil.org Clear a Defensible Space • Clear all dead or flammable vegetation at least 30 feed from any structure. • Thin vegetation within 70 feet; replace with fire resistant plants. • Clear dead leaves and needles from roof and rain gutters. • Space trees and shrubs at least 10 feet apart. • Relocate woodpiles or other combustible materials at least 30 feet from any structure. • Maintain a clear space of 10 feet around propane gas tanks. Fuel Modification Fire-resistant plans can act as a firebreak and protect your home. The following is just a small list of fire resistant plants/shrubs: Aloe Vera Bird of Paradise Bougainvillea Cape Honeysuckle Citrus Trees English Ivy Ice Plant Indian Hawthorne Mondo Grass Prickly Pear Rosemary Star Jasmine Verbena Wild Strawberry For a complete list of plants, fuel modification, proper spacing and maintenance info, call OCFA at (714) 573-6100 ---PAGE BREAK--- Stop the Start of a Wildfire Through the cooperative efforts of the OCFA, State and Federal fire service agencies, law enforcement, property owner and community groups, we can save lives and property. • To report suspicious activity, call Police or the OCFA Arson tip Line at (800) 540-8282 • Keep an eye on children, who cause a large per- centage of preventable fires • Do not use fireworks in wild land areas...they are illegal! • Use extreme caution with BBQ’s, welders, fire- places, smoking materials and open flames • Do not park cars in tall grass. The hot catalytic converter can ignite dry plant materials • Spark arresters are required on gasoline, diesel and propane powered engines. • For fire danger levels and allowable activities in the Cleveland National Forest, call (619) 593- 2183 or visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland and click on Fire and Aviation. Harden the House • Install a 1/2 inch mesh screen over your chimney • Remove all branches within ten feet of the chim- ney • Install a 1/4 inch mesh screen over gable and at- tic vents • Select non-combustible roof and siding, and en- close all eaves • Make sure your address number is visible from the street • Consider installing residential fire sprinklers and dual pane glass • Contact your local building official for assistance What If I Choose to Ignore Evacuation Orders? • Be prepared for intense heat and black, blinding, choking smoke. • Keep hoses, portable pumps, rakes and shovels avail- able. • Fill tubs, pools and ponds with water. • Attach hoses to outside taps or pump. • Place a metal ladder outside for roof access. • Wear long sleeve shirts, long pants, heavy boots, gloves, goggles and a bandana. • Inside your house is the safest place to seek tempo- rary refuge as the fire front passes. • If the house or propane tank becomes involved in fire, seek secondary shelter. • Once the fire front passes, be ready to put out fires on your roof or in your attic. PROTECT YOUR HOME AND FAMILY When Wildfire Approaches • Stay informed through television, radio and local agencies. • Evacuate if directed by authorities, or if fire is headed toward your home. • Close heavy draperies but remove lightweight cur- tains. • Leave lights on in the house to mark your home for emergency responders. • Turn off propane gas supply at the tank. • Evacuate using pre-identified road “escape routes.” • Watch for downed power lines—treat all wires as energized and lethal. • If you can see the fire close-by, it may be too late to travel: seek shelter in your house or in a wide, clear, safe area. What if my kids are in school? • Firefighters will prioritize protecting and evacuat- ing school sites. • Know your school’s evacuation plans and where they will take your student. • Develop an emergency plan for baby sitters and other care providers. What should I do with my animals? • Take small animals with you if you can. • Take large stock animals to alternate stables. • Do not release large stock animals to run wild. For More Information… www.firesafecouncil.org www.firewise.org www.ready.gov www.fs.fed.us/r5/cleveland www.fire.ca.gov www.edis.ca.gov www.usfa.gov www.nfpa.org ---PAGE BREAK--- EOC Activation….What Does It Mean? In the event of a disaster, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) can activate to three dif- ferent levels to coordinate and support response efforts taking place in the field. When we talk about the different levels of activation, this is what we mean: Level I: Decentralized Coordination and Direction A Level I EOC activation is going to take place for a minor to moderate incident wherein local resources are adequate and available. Fire Personnel will initially staff the EOC and off-duty personnel may be recalled. Level II: Centralized Coordination and Decentralized Direction A Level II EOC activation is for a moderate to severe emergency wherein local resources are not adequate and mutual aid may be required on a regional or even statewide basis. Key management level personnel from the principal agencies will provide jurisdictional or multi-jurisdictional coordination. The EOC should be initially staffed with pre-identified emergency management personnel. In the case of the Windy Ridge Fire, the Community Services Department responded to coordinate shelter operations with the American Red Cross, the Police Department responded to coordinate evacuation areas, Fire Department responded to coordinate and communicate with the on-scene Incident Management which involved mutual aid response with the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange Fire Department, LA County Fire Department and a number of other agencies. And, Public Utilities responded to ensure that utilities at the scene of the incident would be unaffected and capable of supporting the field responders. Level III: Centralized Coordination and Direction A major local or regional disaster wherein resources in or near the impacted area are overwhelmed and extensive state or federal resources are required. An example would be a major earthquake or terrorist incident causing substantial damage within the City. In this situation, the EOC would be fully activated and EOC positions filled as needed. A Local Emergency will be proclaimed, a State of Emergency may be proclaimed and a Presidential Declaration of an Emergency or Major Disaster will be requested. All response and early recovery activities will be directed from the EOC. Using Volunteers in Disaster Response Fortunately, the City of Anaheim doesn’t experi- ence large-scale disasters on a weekly, or even basis which would provide us the oppor- tunity to call out our trained volunteer group should the need arise. However, when disaster does strike, there are a number of functions that our trained and dedicated volunteers can and have filled. In past events such as the Sierra Fire (February, 2006) or EOC Activation Exercises, we have harnessed our volunteer workforce to provide support on these and other incidents or events. Their roles include the following: • Answering phone-calls on the information hotlines • Assisting residents with evacuation informa- tion • Providing support to the EOC personnel • Activating response efforts in their neighbor- hoods • Assisting in shelter operations • Providing radio communications to the OC EOC ---PAGE BREAK--- High Explosive Exercise: Level III EOC Activation On Thursday, March 8th at 9:00 a.m., the Depart- ment of Homeland Secu- rity Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) orches- trated a Northern Orange County Exercise that in- volved a terrorist explosion in Placentia with a sec- ondary radiological incident in the City of Anaheim. This simulated scenario tested operations within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which activated to a Level III in response to the disaster. Over 75 personnel from City Departments re- sponded to the EOC to simulate response opera- tions and coordinate on-scene management of the activities. These are some of the operations that we tested during this exercise: CERT Team Activation: Put- ting the Incident Command System (ICS) to the Test In it’s first official activation, our Neighborhood CERT Team representing the West Anaheim area and rallying at Twila Reid Park set-up opera- tions to test their overall re- sponse efforts. Numerous hours have been dedicated to training and certifying our new and exist- ing volunteers in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) to meet federal response require- ments. Team Captains Walt and Anna Ehrmann successfully as- signed and practiced the appro- priate roles within the ICS Struc- ture. The entire team did a fantas- tic job, not only setting up their operation, but successfully imple- menting ICS in all operational components of their neighbor- hood response! RACES Operations Communications play a vital role in managing emergency incidents. Therefore, RACES mem- bers were activated during the morning of the exercise to test HAM Radio Opera- tions both in the field and at the EOC Radio Room. HAM Operator, Bob Templeton remained posted at his radio Station to maintain contact with the Orange County Operational Area during the exercise. In addition, our team dispatched the RACES Communication Station Wagon while Chief Radio Office, Lieutenant Chris Kielich from Anaheim PD tested field to EOC Communica- tions. Great Job to all of our RACES Members on your hard work and efforts throughout the exer- cise! EOC Field Observer Team This new team to the Anaheim Emergency Op- erations Center consists of city employees, most of which who are either CERT Certified and/or HAM Radio Operators who will be dispatched in the field to take first-hand pictures of significant incidents or city landmarks affected by the event. Equipped with the appropriate safety gear, they are provided with camera phones and can take and send pictures directly to the EOC. These pic- tures provide first-hand visuals of what is taking place throughout the city and enables the Plan- ning Section of the EOC to better visualize the immediate needs of the community. During the High Explosive Exercise, our Field Observers were dispatched for the very first time to the Neighborhood CERT Team who set up op- erations in Twila Reid Park. At that location, they took and sent pictures to the EOC of the teams Incident Command Post and Volunteer Respond- ers. ---PAGE BREAK--- On Thursday, March 8th, the first Anaheim Neighborhood CERT Team experienced its first mobilization. In conjunction with the Urban Area Securities Initiative Exercise in Northern Orange County, the team was called into action and activated. At 7:20 am, phone calls were initiated to CERT Team Captains, Walt and Anna Ehrmann, and Level 1-3 CERT members were asked to respond to their designated rally point at Twila Reid Park as a result of an isolated, simulated disaster. By 7:37 am, the team captains were at Twila Reid park with the CERT Neighborhood Team Kits provided by the Anaheim Fire Department. Team members began to arrive to lend to the response efforts shortly thereafter. The medical and triage area, the Command Post, and the operational areas were taped off, and by 8:10 am, the medical, damage assess- ment search and rescue and fire suppression supplies were out and ready for distribution. Once the Command Post and response areas were ade- quately established and various job duties were assigned to the volunteer responders, team members all participated in question and answer sessions amongst themselves and held mini training sessions. One of the big topics that came out of the exercise was “Grab and Go Bags.” All CERT members were asked to respond with their Grab Go bags, and while some did bring them, many did not. For those that still need to assemble their bags or refresh them with new supplies, suggested items for Grab and Go Bags are available at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and on the Disaster Preparedness website at www.anaheim.net. Each CERT member should build, maintain and carry their own Grab and Go bags. The entire exercise was a tremendous success. Many concepts were proven, new ideas evolved and valuable training was received by all. A big, grateful thank you to all CERT, RACES, RSVP and some private citizens who participated and made the overall activity a pleasurable ex- perience! Neighborhood Team Activation By: Walt and Anna Ehrmann, CERT Neighborhood Team Captains ---PAGE BREAK--- HIGHLIGHT ON YOUR CERT TEAM CAPTAIN Who: Walt and Anna Ehrmann # of years in CERT: 5 CERT Level: Level 1 Neighborhood Rally Point: Twila Reid Park Walt and Anna are among our most ac- tively involved CERT members. Our first team Captains in place, they were the first ones in the City to coordinate Neighborhood Team Training. Walt is CERT Train-the-Trainer Certified and quickly becoming an expert in the Inci- dent Command System as he dives into the role of Incident Commander. A special Thanks to the Ehrmann’s for all of their efforts in coordinating their neighborhood for better preparedness and response! RACES Happenings Anaheim RACES recognizes outstanding member, Tom Baldwin At the February CERT and RACES meeting, CRO Lt. Chris Kielich recognized Tom Baldwin as the outstanding 2006 RACES member of the year. Tom has provided his support and par- ticipation in various RACES events, both city and countywide. Tom is also “Net Control” and conducts the Monday Night Net on a weekly ro- tation basis. Tom was awarded a beautiful plaque and was met with gracious applause from his fellow RACES members! Thank-you Tom for your dedication and all that you do to support the Anaheim RACES program! RACES Workday RACES Members volunteered their time on Saturday, Febru- ary 24th to restore the EOC Ra- dio Room . Radio Equipment was hooked up and installed in 4 new radio worksta- tions. Throughout the course of the day, volunteers created working space for radio communications. In addition, they outfitted the Communications Station Wagon with additional radio communication equip- ment for a mobile communications response unit. RACES Field Day: June 23rd and 24th Save the Date for the RACES Field Days in June. There will be two practice sessions; one in April and one in May. More information is to follow over the course of the coming weeks. We look forward to your involvement in this fun and interactive event! Babies, Bottles and Bonnets…. Time is quickly winding down as I approach the birth of my daughter this April! I will be taking ma- ternity leave beginning April 3rd and will be on an extended leave of absence through much of the summer. In my absence, questions per- taining to CERT and RACES meetings, events, and training opportunities can be di- rected to Debbie who is available at (714) 765- 6951. And, don’t forget to access the website at www.anaheim.net for additional information. To all of you who contributed toward the beau- tiful baby gift and wonderful, surprise shower, in March, thank-you so very much for your generosity! I am truly blessed to be amongst such caring individuals! Michele Rivard, CERT/RACES Coordinator ---PAGE BREAK--- The Retired Senior Volun- teer Patrol Academy Class #3 was the first class to receive three days of Community Emergency Response Team Train- ing in addition to their 2 day academy covering law enforcement volunteer procedures. The 13 members of Academy Class #3 joined the al- ready 41 patrol volunteers to train and better serve the City of Anaheim. As a result, Anaheim CERT graduated its largest class with 46 new members. With this additional training, the Police Depart- ment’s volunteers can better respond to emer- gencies until public safety resources become available. The RSVP district administrators and co-administrators will serve as CERT Neighbor- hood Team Captains and have access to the CERT kits within their respective districts in the event of a major emergency. In addition to their daily patrols throughout the city, the RSVP assist with community flashlight walks, report graffiti and other issues observed during their patrols as well as serve residents by conducting Vacation House Checks, School Checks and You Are Not Alone (YANA) checks. Congratulations to our newest CERT and RSVP Volun- teers and thank-you for your dedication to the City of Anaheim. Law Enforcement Volunteers Join Forces with CERT!!! By Karyn Flutts, Anaheim PD, Volunteer Coordinator Training and Meetings Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events and Training Opportunities and check our website for additional infor- mation. Visit www.anaheim.net, click on CERT Training under the quick links, and then click on the events and training calendar for more information. • April 10, 2007, 6:30-8:30 pm CERT/RACES Meeting NIMS IS-700 Training and Certification. • April 24, 2007, all day American Red Cross Super CPR Day @ An- gel Stadium. Visit www.oc-redcross.org to pre-register for CPR and First Aid Certifi- cation. • May 8, 2007, 6:30 pm CERT/RACES Meeting-Terrorism Presen- tation and roles of Department of Home- land Security in Terrorism Response and Preparedness. • June 12, 2007, 6:30 pm CERT/RACES Meeting NIMS IS-100 Training an certification • SAVE THE DATE-NEXT CERT TRAINING Friday, October 12, 2007 4:30-9:30 pm Saturday, October 13, 2007 8:00-5:00 pm Sunday, October 14, 2007 8:00-5:00 pm Registration begins August, 2007.