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For over a year, RACES and CERT volunteers have worked on removing interior portions of the trailer, installing new walls and work surfaces, and installing radios pur- chased with Homeland Security Grant funds. The interior of the trailer has workspace for 4 -6 radio operators. With the trailer about to have its 15th birthday, now a professional paint job is needed and proper decals to give it the official look. Thanks to Grainger for their donation; we look forward to showing off our newly painted trailer soon! www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Summer 2010 Volunteer Newsletter Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Be prepared. Be aware. Be involved. www.anaheim.net/prepare Summer 2010 Edition In This Issue… All Star Volunteers p. 2 CERT Volunteer Profile p. 3 Anaheim Cooling Centers p. 4 Preparedness Update p. 5 RACES Volunteer Profile p. 6 RACES Field Day P. 6 Downtown 5K Radio Support p. 7 Radio 101 p. 7 Fire Corps Academy Grads p. 8 Promise to Prepare p. 8 First Aid p. 9 Summer p. 9 Search & Rescue Drill p. 10 Grainger Donation Received RACES Volunteer Communications Trailer Will Benefit With New Paint Pictured from left to right: Deputy Chief Scott Berg, Ashley Potts, Grainger Anaheim Branch Manager, Ellen Lo- pez, Disaster Preparedness Manager, Russell Farrell, Volunteer. On June 21, Grainger presented a check to the Anaheim Community Foundation, Fire-CERT and RACES program for $1,000 towards the refurbishment and painting of the do- nated RACES Volunteer Communications Trailer. The trailer was originally donated by the Anaheim Rotary Club in 1995. The Anaheim Community Foundation (ACF) is a 501-c3 not-for-profit foundation that benefits a vari- ety of programs within Anaheim. The Fire-CERT and RACES program is one of the registered pro- grams under the ACF allowing donations to the pro- gram to be tax-deductible. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net The Volunteer Newsletter is published quarterly in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and is avail- able free of charge. Summer 2010 Issue CONTACT US Anaheim Fire Department Office of Disaster Preparedness 500 E. Broadway Ave. Anaheim, CA 92805 Phone: (714) 765-6955 Fax: (714) 765-6959 [EMAIL REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Ellen Lopez Disaster Preparedness Manager Mary Jo Disaster Preparedness Assistant Manager Debbie Heilman Office Assistant Volunteers Assist at the EOC for All Star Week A special thank you to all of the volunteers who provided assistance to the vari- ous command and staging areas during the 2010 All-Star Week in Anaheim. Volun- teers performed a variety of duties including: security, administrative tasks, facility needs, registration and check-in and much more. Thank you to the following volunteers: CERT Anna Ehrmann, Walter Ehrmann, Cheriann Lawler RACES Russ Farrell, Richard Lewis, Jonathan Ramos, Neil Smith, Jim Wainwright Fire Corps James Chung, Daniel Ta’ai, Matt Natelborg, Garrett Santibanez VIPS Gina Wilkinson, Lorna Moor, Beverly Guida, Ron Wilkinson, Ken Levin, Wanda Brace, Don Mendenhall, Lou Jorano, Wanda Brace, Marge Herman, Arthur Eng, Brenda Nardo, Vinnie Nardo, Jim Leonard, Steve Barolone, Judy Benevito, Dave Osthy, Greg Lutes, Michael Faxon ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 3 Anaheim CERT Neighborhood Team Rally Points Twila Reid Park West Anaheim Comm. Center & PD Magnolia Baptist Church Hampton, Chain, Gain St. Stoddard Park Pearson Park Yorba Regional Park Albert Schweitzer School Magnolia School District Centralia District (11) Modjeska Park (10) Eucalyptus Park (12) Temple Beth Emet (13) Toyon Park (14) CERT Team Sites 1 Twila Reid Park Orange Ave. and Western Ave. TC: Walter and Anna Ehrmann 2 Hampton, Chain, Gain St. Broadway and Magnolia TC: Jack and Allyson Baligad 3 Stoddard Park Katella Ave. and 9th St. TC: Barry Gilbert 4 Pearson Park Lincoln Ave. and Harbor Blvd. TC: Vacant 5 Magnolia School District Orange Ave. and Magnolia Ave. TC: Cheryl Blount 6 Magnolia Baptist Church Orange Ave. and Magnolia Ave. TC: Corey Wylde 7 Yorba Regional Park La Palma and Weir Canyon TC: Cecilia Benson-Brown, Gerry Ball 8 Albert Schweitzer School Broadway and Dale Ave. TC: Lori Diaz 9 West Anaheim Community Center Orange Ave. and Beach Blvd. TC: Jerry Silverman 10 Modjeska Park Ball Rd. and Nutwood St. TC: Russ Farrell 11 Centralia School District La Palma Ave. and Valley View St. TC: Ruth Ann McMillen 12 Eucalyptus Park Santa Ana Canyon Rd. and Fairmont Blvd. TC: Jim Wainright 13 Temple Beth Emet Cerritos Ave. and Euclid St. TC: Eva Silverman 14 Toyon Park Weir Canyon Rd. and Serrano Ave. TC: Frank Lasner Volunteer Profile Gerry Ball Gerry Ball first became involved with the Anaheim CERT program in June 2004 and is currently a CMAP level responder. Gerry is heavily involved in Neighborhood Watch in his community and actively promotes CERT and RACES to his neighbors. Gerry has since worked to become one of the Team Captains at Yorba Regional Park and with his background and experience as a carpenter, has built resources for the CERT and RACES trailers. After getting involved with many of our recent drills, Gerry recommended reor- ganizing and labeling the CERT trailer. The inside is now organized like a small warehouse with cross-reference inventory lists created by Gerry; this organization makes it much easier for individuals to find items in the trailer. Gerry has also of- fered to teach the CERT Trailer logistics functions to interested volunteers. We ap- preciate Gerry’s dedication to the CERT program! ShakeOut October 21, 2010 10:21 AM www.shakeout.org ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net AlertOC is a mass notifica- tion system designed to keep Orange County resi- dents and business in- formed of emergencies and certain community events. By registering with AlertOC, time-sensitive voice messages from the County or Anaheim may be sent to your home, cell or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to cell phones, e-mail accounts and hearing im- paired receiving devices. To register, sign on to http://bos.ocgov.com/ alertoc/alertoc.asp. Anaheim Alert is an alert notification system used to immediately contact you during urgent or emer- gency situations with use- ful information and up- dates by sending text mes- sages to your email ac- count and/or wireless de- vice. Anaheim residents and volunteers are encour- aged to sign-up for the service. To register, sign on to www.anaheim.net and click on the Anaheim Alert logo. Anaheim Cooling Centers Typical summer temperatures in Califor- nia contribute to approximately 20 deaths per year. The July 2006 Heat Wave in California was responsible for the death of 140 people over a 13 day period. Heat emergencies are often slower to develop. It could take a num- ber of days of oppressive heat for a heat wave to have a significant or quantifiable im- pact. Heat waves typically affect the lives of vulnerable populations. Excessive Heat Watch: Is issued 36-48 hours in advance of an event to give ad- vance notice of the possibility of exces- sively hot conditions. Excessive Heat Warning: Is issued 0- 36 hours in advance of an excessive heat event that is expected to last 2 days or more. Criteria consists of a heat index of at least 105°F for more than 3 hours per day for 2 consecutive days, or heat index more than 115°F for any period of time. When heat watches or warnings are an- nounced, the City of Anaheim will also an- nounce the availability of cooling centers lo- cated throughout Anaheim. Follow these protocols: Staying cool indoors. Use your air conditioner to cool your home. If you don’t have air conditioning, visit public facilities such as shopping malls, com- munity centers or libraries to stay cool. Do not rely on electric fans as your pri- mary cooling device during a heat wave. When the temperature is in the high 90’s or higher, a fan will not prevent heat- related illness. A cool shower or bath is a more effective way to cool off. Drinking more fluids, especially water. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Checking often on those at high-risk. This includes older adults, those with chronic medical conditions, people with disabilities, those who take certain medi- cations and children. Make sure their air conditioner is turned on, or offer to take them to a cooler place. Central Branch Library 500 W. Broadway (714) 765-1880 Mon.-Fri: 11am-8pm Sat: 10am-6pm Closed Sunday Haskett Branch Library 2650 W. Broadway (714) 765-5075 Mon.—Thurs: 11am-8pm Fri. & Sat: Noon-6pm Closed Sunday Euclid Branch Library 1340 S. Euclid (714) 765-3625 Mon.-Thurs.: Noon-8pm Fri.: Noon-6pm Sat. & Sun.: Closed Sunkist Branch Library 901 S. Sunkist (714) 765-3576 Mon.-Thurs.: Noon-8pm Fri.: Noon-6pm Sat. & Sun.: Closed Canyon Hills Library 400 Scout Trail (714) 974-7360 Mon.—Thurs: 11am—8pm Fri.: 10am—6pm Sat. & Sun.: Closed East Anaheim Library 8201 Santa Ana Canyon (714) 765-3887 Mon.—Wed.: 11am-7pm Thurs.: 11am-6pm Sat.: 10am-5pm Fri. & Sun.: Closed Downtown Community Center 250 E. Center St. (714) 765-4500 Mon.—Fri.: 9am-5pm Sat.: 8am-4pm Sun.: 8am-8pm Brookhurst Community Center 2271 W. Crescent Ave. (714) 765-3373 Mon-Fri.: 9am-3:30 pm Sat. & Sun.: Closed West Anaheim Youth Center 320 S. Beach Blvd. (714) 765-6400 Mon.-Fri.: 2 pm-8pm (6/1- 6/20) Mon.-Fri.: 10am-8pm (6/21- 8/29) Sat.: 9am-7pm Sun.: Noon-8pm Center Locations ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 5 Emergency Preparedness Update Hazard or Disaster Causes and Seasons Things You Can Do An earthquake is a geological event caused by the natural movement of tectonic plates deep in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes have no particular cause or season, but the South- ern San Andreas Fault is overdue for a big earthquake, possibly of a magnitude 7.0+, so now is the time to prepare. Over 50% of the injuries that occurred in the 1994 Northridge earthquake came from falling items. Securing or earthquake proofing your environment is the best way to prevent injury. Having enough emergency supplies to last 2 weeks or more is another way to be prepared. Learn more at earthquake country: http:// www.earthquakecountry.info California has a regular fire season that lasts from August through December, but with con- tinued drought conditions the threat of wild- fires increases. Fires can be caused by natu- ral events or careless acts by humans. Fire prevention includes protecting your life and protecting your home. Brush clearance and installing fire sprinklers are ways to save your home. Following evacuation instructions in a timely manner will save your life. Having an evacuation plan and go-kit ready to go in case of evacuation are ways to prepare you and your family. Learn more with Ready! Set! Go! Orange County regularly experiences heat waves, which can be particularly dangerous for children, seniors, residents with cardiovas- cular disease or those taking and other medications. Additionally, Orange County sometimes experiences rainstorms, hail, flash flooding, high winds, thunderstorms and lightening. Learn about the various weather related emer- gencies at www.readyoc.org. Take precau- tions during heat emergencies to keep children and the elderly cool. Learn steps you can take to protect your property during flooding and severe storms. http://bit.ly/Prepare2010 Food. Enough non-perishable food for 72 hours, preferably one week. Don’t forget a can opener! Water. Enough so each person has a gallon per day for 72 hours. Store in airtight containers and replace it every six months. First Aid Kit. Make sure it’s well stocked, especially with bandages and disinfectants. Include alcohol based hand sanitizer, gloves, masks and bug repellant. Fire Extinguisher. You should have an ABC fire extinguisher, suitable for all types of fires. Flashlights with Extra Batteries. Keep flashlights beside your bed and in several other designated areas. Portable Radio with Extra Batter- ies. The radio may be your best source for information. Special Items. Have at least a week’s supply of medications, eye glasses and food for infants and those with special needs. Tools. Have an adjustable wrench for turning off gas and water. Emergency Contact List. Keep an updated list of contacts includ- ing: insurance, out of state con- tacts, etc. Keep accessible. Money. Electronic funds may not be functional. Keep money in small bills and change in your kit for any purchases you may need. Personal Items. Change of clothes and shoes, blankets, etc. Emergency Plan for Family. Make sure your family has identi- fied a meeting place and emer- gency number to call. Protect your family and yourself by having an emergency preparedness kit that will sustain your household for at least 72 hours. In the spirit of fun, competitiveness and emergency pre- paredness, the City of Anaheim Fire Department, Office of Disaster Prepar- edness is conducting the 8th Annual Anaheim Preparedness Pledge Drive. To participate, simply create or update the supplies for a basic prepar- edness kit. When your kit is ready, complete the ―I Pledge My Prepared- ness‖ online form at the website below. Deadline for all pledges is October 1, 2010. Visit www.anaheim.net/Prepare for more info. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Volunteer Profile Robb Queen KE6FUZ Robb Queen was first licensed as a Technician in 1994 and issued his call, KE6UZ. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Disneyland Amateur Radio Club as com- munications officer. While at Disneyland, he put together numerous special event stations including Disneyland Paris 5th Anniversary, Disneyland’s 40th and 50th Anniversary as well as Mickey’s 60th Birthday. Under the direction of then CEO Michael Eisner, Robb started D.E.A.R.S. or Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service California where he was the president. There are plans to relocate the repeater to Anaheim West Tower for use by RACES. Robb joined Anaheim RACES in 2001 and in the last couple of years has been returning the original packet radio stations to working order. To date we have six packet stations up and running. After passing his General test, Robb became a Volunteer Examiner (VE). He currently runs radio out of his Truck: 2 meter and 440 packets, 1.2 GHz, 220 on voice and 2m/440 voice radio. He is working on ob- taining his Extra Class license. Anaheim RACES Field Day The Anaheim Fire Department will be presenting the new Ready! Set! Go! Program in August which focuses on wildland fire preparedness and safety. The program emphasizes prepar- edness, including having an evacua- tion kit ready to go; creating defensible space around your home; building techniques and materials to reduce fire hazard; and evacuation planning and safety. Fire Department personnel will be on hand in the coming months to re- view this information with residents in the east Anaheim area who live along the wildand fire interface. For more information, contact Fire Marshall Jeff Lutz at (714) 765-4042. Anaheim RACES participated in the 2010 Field Day at Toyon Park on Saturday, June 26 through Sunday, June 27. This 24-hour exercise allows RACES volunteers to practice communications and become familiar with radio equipment and the communications trailer. RACES had a victorious year with 208 total contacts with Alaska and New Hampshire being the furthest contact reached. Shifts were planned through the night for a very successful 24- hour operation. Radio volunteers were supported at the event by the CERT volunteers who provided logistical support and general public information about both volunteer programs. RACES volunteers were proud to show off the new mast antenna attached to the Volunteer Communications Unit a.k.a. RACES Trailer as well as the radios installed inside. Members of the public were able to visit with radio operators and partici- pate in Field Day at a Get on the Air (GOTA) station inside the trailer. Special visitors to the event included Engine 10 staff who came out to support the volunteers and learn about the equip- ment capabilities and volunteer support available to the Ana- heim Fire Department. The packet deliveries to nearby residents a week in ad- vance of Field Day proved successful as many visitors came to the park to ask questions about the programs and what to do in the event of future emergencies or evacuations. ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 7 Radio 101 Technician License Anaheim RACES Frequency Anaheim RACES is now lo- cated on 146.265 MHz with PL Tone of 136.5 (2B). Special thanks to Chris Kielich for allow- ing Anaheim RACES use of his K6CF repeater. The Monday Night Nets are being conducted on this fre- quency at 7:30 p.m. (excluding holidays). Please contact the Of- fice of Disaster Preparedness at (714) 765-6951 with any ques- tions regarding RACES. On Saturday, June 12 the Anaheim RACES group was again on hand to provide communications for the Down- town 5K Run and Flag Day Parade. Our dedicated volunteers were on hand for an early start at 6:00 am along the Center Street Promenade. Garrett from the Fire Corps Volun- teer program provided shuttle services to position everyone at their assigned sites; in addition Garrett was the official RACES photographer. A briefing was held at 6:45 am; our charter was to observe and report. To this end it was reasserted that any inju- ries or mishaps be reported to Net Control. Thankfully there were no inci- dents to report. Shortly after the briefing volunteer personnel were positioned and pro- ceeded to check in from their location. The race began at 8:00 am and within minutes, Net Control received reports of the runners’ progress. This vital information was quickly passed to the commentator, who in turn informed the crowd. This year that portion of our service worked very well. Even though the race was quickly over, our mission for the day was not yet finished. Garret retrieved volun- teers from their posts and everyone assisted in breaking down our base station. Following the 5K Run, Anaheim RACES quickly reorganized to help parade officials coordinate communica- tions. Six Anaheim RACES volunteers shadowed parade coordinators and provided communication assistance. Everyone got quite a workout ―running‖ after our new buddies. The chief coor- dinator was very thankful for the ser- vice provided. A huge thank you to everyone who participated: Russ – K6KNR, Don – KI6OJK, Rich – AF6TM, Jim – KJ6DKQ, Jack – KI6OIO, Walter – KI6OIW, Bob – KI6CUO, Neil – K6KWI, Patrice – KJ6DTY, Nigel – KI6EYP & Garrett. Our team worked really well to- gether and everyone contributed. As these opportunities arise it’s important for all of us to take part and practice our skills and become more familiar with our equipment. Downtown 5K Radio Operations By: Neil Smith, K6KWI Getting your FCC radio techni- cian license just got a little easier. Anaheim RACES now has a pool of Volunteer Examiners (VE) who may proctor exams on behalf of the FCC. Many online self-study options are available to those who are in- terested in getting licensed as a radio operator. Additionally, prac- tice exams allow you to prepare for the test and review your radio knowledge. Test questions change every few years and the latest pool of questions will be available after July 1, 2010. For those of you who may be interested in obtaining your license or being an ―Elmer‖ or radio educa- tor, contact [EMAIL REDACTED]. Exams will be scheduled regu- larly, and look for them on upcom- ing calendars both in the Volunteer Newsletter and online at www.anaheim.net/Prepare. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Mission Statement The City of Anaheim Community Emergency Response Team strives to create a network of in- formed, trained and resourceful volunteers with a focus on disaster preparedness and the ability to help themselves and their neighbors during an emergency. Mission Statement The mission of the Anaheim Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is to provide additional communication support as directed by the Anaheim Fire Department Office of Disaster Preparedness and other government agencies during emergencies within the City of Anaheim and the County of Or- ange, CA. Mission Statement The mission of Fire Corps is to increase the capacity of volunteer, career, and combination fire and EMS departments through the use of citizen advocates. Fire Corps provides resources for depart- ments to utilize citizen advocates in non-operational roles so they can develop, implement, and sus- tain programs and services that will help their department meet the needs of their community. Congratulations Fire Academy Graduates Congratulations to Anaheim Fire Corps Volunteers: Jesus Andrade, Luis Perez, Joel Ray, Tanner Marsey and Matt Natelborg, who recently graduated from the Santa Ana Fire Academy, Class 153. All five of the graduates are members of the Anaheim Fire Department, Fire Corps Volunteer program and volunteer eight hours a week. The Academy is a grueling 14-week course that covers: Auto extrication, breathing apparatus/search & rescue, career development, communications, cul- tural diversity, EMS, facility maintenance & tools, fire control, fire investigation, fire prevention, forcible entry and hazardous materials. Congratulations also to Matt Natelborg who ran the fastest 1.5 mile in 9 min. 17 sec. Congratulations graduates, pictured from left to right: Jesus Andrade, Luis Perez, Joel Ray, Tanner Marsey, Matt Natelborg Help Reach 32,000 Promises in 2010 More than 90% of Orange County residents are aware that emergency preparedness is important. Yet over 93% have made little or no preparations! What about you? Are you ready? The ReadyOC emergency preparedness campaign is challenging individuals who live, work or go to school in Orange County to Promise to Prepare in 2010. If 32,000 people make that promise, that means 1% of the re- gion’s total population has taken action to be prepared. It’s a start – but also under- scores the urgent need for more OCers to take preparedness action now. You can take the first step today by making a promise to get an emergency kit, make a plan or volunteer. Just go to ReadyOC.org, click on Promise to Prepare and follow the prompts. It’s fast, easy and you can see your promise being counted in real time…right on the site! And when you promise, you can enter for a chance to win a prize. Let ReadyOC.org Help You Fulfill Your Promise. Emergency preparedness resources and tools are available at ReadyOC.org to help you fulfill your promise. The site also provides you with the latest information, insights and events on OC disaster preparedness activities as well as real-time emergency news. ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 9 First Aid Corner C CERT Meeting 6:30 PM ODP R RACES Meeting 6:15 PM ODP TC Team Captain Training 8 AM—Noon ODP CC Citizen Corps Training 8 AM—Noon TBD H Federal Holiday City Offices Closed 3 National Night Out 5:00—8:00 pm Location: Eucalyptus Park 9, 11 CMAP Responder class 6:00—9:00 pm This class qualifies volunteers for par ticipation as a CERT Mutual Aid Re sponder. Additionally, volunteers must have completed shelter training, CPR/ AED and First Aid. 10 Speaker’s Bureau Training 5:30—6:30 pm 14 First Aid Class 1:30—5:00 pm EA Farmer’s Market Booth Thurs. 11:00 am—8:00 pm 18 CERT Make-Up Class 1 pm—5 pm Fire Suppression, Team Organization For a stroke, think FAST FACE—Weakness on one side of the face. Ask the person to smile. This will show if there is drooping or weakness in the muscles on one side of the face. ARM—Weakness or numbness in one arm. Ask the person to raise both arms to find out if there is weakness in the limbs. SPEECH—Slurred speech or trouble speaking. Ask the person to speak a sim- ple sentence to listen for slurred or distorted speech. TIME— Time to CALL 9-1-1 if you see any of these signals. Note the time that the signals began and call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number right away. If you encounter someone who is having or has had a stroke, call 9-1-1 or utilize priority radio communications. Look at your watch and note the time signals started. If the person is unconscious, make sure that he or she has an open airway and care for life-threatening conditions. If fluid or vomit is in the person’s mouth, position him or her on one side to allow fluids to drain out of the mouth. Stay with the person and monitor his or her breathing and other signs of life. If the person is conscious, check for nonlife-threatening conditions. A stroke can make the person fearful and anxious. Often, he or she does not un- derstand what has happened. Offer comfort and reassurance. Have the person rest in a comfortable position. Do not give him or her anything to eat or drink. In the past, a stroke almost always caused irreversible brain damage. Today, new medications and medical procedures can limit or reduce the damage caused by stroke. Many of these new treatments must be given quickly to be effective. In a mass casualty situation, even if signals of a stroke are present, continue with the principles of START. Recognizing a Stroke Has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? Can they raise both arms and keep them there? Is their speech slurred? Note the time and call 9-1-1 right away. 2 Orange County RACES Exercise 8 CPR/AED Class 8 am—12:30 pm 8 First Aid Class 1:00 pm—5 pm 21 The Great California ShakeOut ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 10 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Anaheim Council June Search and Rescue Drill a Success! CERT and RACES volunteers joined together at Toyon Park on Saturday, June 19 to simulate a light search and rescue drill through the neighborhoods of east Anaheim. The drill called on CERT volunteers to develop a briefing using ICS form 201, develop a communications plan using ICS form 205 and to develop an organ- izational chart and assign teams to various streets within the neighborhoods. CERT members selected Russ Farrell as the CERT Team Captain (Incident Commander) and Logistics and Communications were run from the CERT trailer. A special thank you goes to Jonathan Ramos as Communications Unit Leader and radio Net Control. Jonathan handled 4 different radio frequencies and managed communications for incident command and the five teams that were organized throughout the neighborhood. Thanks to his efforts and the radio communication skills of those in the field, radio communications at this drill were exemplary! CERT Team Captains arrived on-site at 0800 hours and had one hour to organ- ize and plan for arriving team members. At 0900 hours Planning was ready to re- ceive new team members including signing in and issuing ICS-214 Unit Activity Logs. Allyson Baligad and Cecilia Benson-Brown lead the planning efforts, moni- tored the activities of teams in the field and recorded intelligence back to the inci- dent commander, including houses which were unapproachable. For the simula- tion, houses with ―No Soliciting‖ or ―Beware of Dog‖ were treated as a severely damaged structure and deemed too dangerous to enter. Walter Ehrmann led the Operations section which organized into three divi- sions: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie; and each division had two teams with three people assigned to each. Utilizing proper span of control allowed the operations section and planning to divide resources in order to cover territory to deliver over 750 pack- ets in just a little over 2 hours. Thank you to all of the volunteers who participated: Allyson Baligad, Jon Ramos, Gerald Ball, Jim Wainwright, Cecilia Brown, Frank Lansner, Jack Baligad, Richard Lewis, Anna Ehrmann, Walter Ehrmann, Bill Kelly, Cheryl Blount, Mary Brough, John Roach, Tamara Harne, Samantha Ramirez, Doug Sundman, Carol Sundman, Russ Farrell. Over 750 packets were delivered to homes in just over 2 hours Lessons Learned When organizing divisions in the organizational chart, we will use the letter designation and then the number to indicate teams. For example, Team 1 in Division A will be: Team Alpha 1. Remember spare batteries for FRS radios and other electronic equip- ment; not just flashlights. When communicating to Net Con- trol, confirm that a message was received before signing off. Pack a compass in your go-bag. A compass would have come in handy for orienting to the hilly ter- rain, and enabling the maps to be read more easily. When storing radios, ensure that the device is off so your battery is not drained. Additionally, consider removing the charged battery and storing separately. Remember your personal safety is paramount! Communicate your needs, rest and re-hydrate. You let a team down more by being incapacitated than by resting briefly. Citizen Corps Training Saturday, August 14 8:00 AM to Noon Location will be announced via Anaheim Alert. Please make sure your contact information is updated. Training Topic led by RACES