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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. Winter 2007 [EMAIL REDACTED] www.anaheim.net/disasterpreparedness/cert 2007 is sure to be a big year, par- ticularly for me, as my husband and I prepare for the birth of our first child in April…a girl! Suddenly, our priori- ties have changed in a multitude of ways as we try to create a home that is suitable for a little one. In doing so, I’ve noticed that in all of the pregnancy books, magazines, and internet sites, the topic of emergency prepared- ness isn’t discussed (at least not in the books that I have been reading). You would think that along with all of the other safety topics pertaining to cribs and toys, there would be a section dedicated to putting together your infant’s grab-and-go bag and se- curing the furniture in the nursery. The baby preparation process, though daunting has given us a refreshing opportunity to re- evaluate our emergency prepara- tions around the house. Over the holidays, I double checked our emergency supplies within our grab-and-go bag. Everything was in good order, however almost impossible to get to as I had to stumble over all of the holiday decoration boxes that had been brought out for Christmas and the mounting boxes of newly acquired baby supplies that are being stored in the garage. Nearly a year ago, I secured anchoring straps for all of my tall bookcases and armoires and I just finished re-assessing their stability. And, I finally started the process of securing safety latches on my kitchen cabinets. Continued on page 2 Ringing in the New Year By Michele Rivard CERT/RACES Coordinator In this Issue • 2007 Emergency Survival Plan (ESP) • Volunteer Voice: Radio Ama- teur Civil Emergency Services (RACES), Volunteer in Police Services (VIPS) • OC CERT Mutual Aid • Neighborhood Team Kits • Upcoming Events • 2006 Highlights ---PAGE BREAK--- In all of my preparations at home over the 2006 year, it is scary to think that I am among only 6% of the population who is prepared and has a plan. And, while there are always things to be done in fully preparing my home, I have a plan that will give my family and myself a bit more peace of mind every month. As we move forward into the New Year, my challenge to you, your friends, family members, and your communities is to make sure that your emergency kits are in good order with at least 72-hours of supplies and better prepare your homes and mitigate all of those potential hazards. In this issue of the newsletter, take a look at the 2007 Emergency Survival Plan (ESP) for month-by-month preparation plans that you can implement at home. Visit our website at www.anaheim.net/disasterpreparedness or www.ReadyOC.org as information is being updated routinely with the most current topics in disaster preparedness and current events, such as the Avian Influenza. And, encourage a friend and neighbor to participate in CERT Training this year, if not in the city of Anaheim, in one of our neighboring communities. There are a wealth of resources available to place you on the right track toward better prepar- edness. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in your preparedness plans and look forward to your continued support and involvement throughout the 2007 year! Michele Ringing in the New Year Continued from page 1 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NOVEMBER, 2006 CERT GRADUATES! George Farrell Paul Haupert Lori Jones Ishwar Chander Keely Hall I.J. Preston Rose Mary Valeriote Sheri Morales Tedla Negatu Lisa Marie Ramirez Phil Rousseau Karen-Liane Shiba Jean Ann Stern Betty Yonemura John Acheson Cory Carmichall Ofelia Perez David Ramos Bob Templeton Gary Huniu Anyawata Bekwele Jack Baligad Allyson Baligad Shirley Bass Jim Bonsteel Alfredo Cervera Maria Cervera Morgan Downie Edward Martin Deborah Martin ---PAGE BREAK--- January Floods Storms can cause flash floods, create power outages and damage homes. Assemble emergency supplies to include sand bags; identify safe routes; teach chil- dren to avoid areas of potential flooding; and moni- tor TV and radio for instructions when flooding oc- curs. February Landslides Significant property damage can be caused by land- slides. Prepare an evacuation kit to include impor- tant documents and irreplaceable items such as pho- tographs. When it rains, monitor the amount of rain- fall and look for warning signs of landslides such as new springs, tilted trees or holes in hillsides. March Tsunamis Believe it or not, tsunamis have occurred in the southern California region. If you live within a mile of the coast, identify a safe location you could evacuate to if necessary. If you experience an earth- quake lasting 20 seconds or more, or you learn about a tsunami watch and warning, move to high ground immediately. DON’T DELAY, PREPARE TODAY! In cooperation with their partners, LA County has assembled a collection of tips and guidelines aimed at emergency pre- paredness. The Emergency Survival Pro- gram (ESP), formerly known as the Earth- quake Survival Program, is an awareness campaign designed to increase emer- gency preparedness at home, in the com- munity, at work and at school. ESP was developed by the County of Los Angeles. The California Governor’s Office of Emer- gency Services (OES) and representa- tives from Contra Costa, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Ventura counties, various cities, Southern California Edison, the Southern California Earthquake Center, and the American Red Cross assist in the devel- opment of campaign materials and in co- ordination of the campaign. Each year a list of preparedness steps is recommended as an easy way for you to prepare for all hazards. You are encouraged to download the ESP materi- als. By taking simple actions each month you can help prepare your neighborhood, family and community to be self-sufficient. Visit www.espfocus.org to download the ESP Focus along with specific information relating to a topic of interest. ---PAGE BREAK--- The Volunteer Voice The Page Dedicated to Volunteer Programs in Anaheim and Orange County Recognizing that citizen involvement is needed and that Anaheim citizens pride themselves in their community, The Anaheim Police Department partners with residents and has established the Volunteers In Police Service pro- gram or VIPS. VIPS is the law enforcement component of Citizen Corps. The Anaheim Police Department ear- nestly believes that volunteer resources can make many of the most important contributions in police work today. The Department’s first Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol Academy (RSVP) was held in January of 2006 with a graduating class of 30. A second class of 12 patrol volunteers hit the streets in July 2006. A 3rd Volunteer Patrol Academy is set for January 8-12, 2007 which will include CERT Training for all new and current Patrol Volun- teers as we recognize that law enforcement volunteers can play a valuable role in supplementing disaster prepara- tion, response, and recovery efforts. Volunteer patrols serve as extra “eyes, ears, and helping hands.” One of the many day to day services RSVP’s offer Anaheim residents is vacation checks. If you are going on va- cation, notify the Anaheim Police Volunteer office to sign up for a vacation check. Trained volunteers will per- form a thorough inspection of your property while you are away. Vacation checks include a perimeter check, physical and/or visual check of all doors and windows, verification of vehicles left on the property, and verifica- tion of any people found on the property. Exterior areas of your home that are not accessible will not be checked. The RSVP also provides “Y.A.N.A.” checks for those living alone who would appreciate someone occasionally checking on their welfare. “You Are Not Alone” is designed to provide a measure of security and well being. Thus, volunteers may identify any needs for special services and make referrals to other agencies. There is no minimum age for Y.A.N.A. persons. Participants in the Y.A.N.A. program are often “shut-ins” and their only contact with people may be through the RSVP volunteers. Personal visits by volunteers can enhance the quality of their lives. In addition to the RSVP program, there are currently 2 other areas in which to volunteer within the Department, V.I.S.T.A. and The Anaheim Resort Ambassador Program. Volunteers In Service To Anaheim (V.I.S.T.A.) form a core group who staff a variety of Departmental facili- ties. Volunteers fill classifications including clerical, administrative, technical and professional activities. V.I.S.T.A. representatives may assist with fingerprinting, staffing special events, developing operations manu- als, and conducting computer research. The Anaheim Resort Ambassador Program is comprised of volunteers on foot that patrol and assist those who visit and conduct business in the resort area. Ambassadors work in groups of two. Duties include helping tour- ist by providing requested information and introducing them to necessary resources, acting as a liaison between resort police officers and area hotels/businesses, act as further set of “eyes and ears” in reporting suspicious activity and problem solving opportunities to resort police officers. Stationary positions are also available at the “help desk”. Interested in becoming a law enforcement volunteer? Volunteer Office phone: [PHONE REDACTED] or email: [EMAIL REDACTED]. Contact Program Coordinators: Karyn Flutts @ [PHONE REDACTED] ([EMAIL REDACTED]), Officer Connie Najmulski @ [PHONE REDACTED]([EMAIL REDACTED]) or Resort Ambassador Coordinator: Karen Eckes @ [PHONE REDACTED] ([EMAIL REDACTED]). Anaheim Police Department Grows in its Volunteer Programs By Karyn Flutts, APD Volunteer Coordinator ---PAGE BREAK--- The Volunteer Voice (continued) The CERT Mutual Aid Program (CMAP) Solidifies Its Plans in 2006 By Michele Rivard The Orange County CMAP Commit- tee, chaired by Michele Rivard (Anaheim) and Todd DeVoe (Dana Point) made some significant strides in 2006 to map out their plans for a CERT Mutual Aid Response County- wide. The CMAP Committee, which includes profes- sional representatives from 17 jurisdictions throughout Orange County determined the training requirements for all CERT Volunteers who are interested in branching out of their cities to help in response efforts throughout the County. Two levels of training have been estab- lished which includes a Basic and Advanced Level. The training includes: Basic CMAP Training • Basic 20-hour CERT Training • Completion of the CERT Mutual Aid Module (To be introduced in Spring, 2007) • Completion of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) IS-100 and IS-700 class and/or test • Successful completion of background check Advanced CMAP Training • American Red Cross Shelter Operations Training • Medical Operations III Module (To be introduced in Summer of 2007) • Damage Assessment/Neighborhood Size-up Train- ing (To be introduced in Summer of 2007) • Volunteer Management (Early 2008) While many of the training classes are still in the devel- opment phase, you can start seeing new training being introduced into the Anaheim CERT Program as early as February, 2007. Plus, training classes will be offered to our volunteers throughout Orange County! This is an exciting time, not just for Anaheim CERT, but for all of the CERT programs in OC, as we begin to implement a strong partnership in both training and response! I en- courage you to take advantage of these unique opportu- nities as they become available throughout the year! Anaheim RACES will be welcoming some changes to their program structure in 2007 with the addition of the RACES Elite Team! All existing members of RACES who have successfully completed the extensive back- ground check process will be recognized as a RACES Elite Team Member and share in communication responsibilities in the EOC and throughout the City of Anaheim during a major disaster. The addition of a Communi- cations Team will be new to both RACES and CERT. Members of this special group will have dual responsibilities in RACES and CERT and new opportunities for training. Ideal candidates for the new Communica- tions Team include CERT Members with their HAM Radio Licenses, persons inter- ested in acquiring basic radio skills, and our CERT Neighborhood Team Captains. RACES NEWS!!! RACES Meetings will continue to take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Anaheim Emergency Operations Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m. However, for those with dual commitments to CERT and RACES, we have made it possible for you to be involved in both!!! A general volunteer meeting will be held from 6:30-7:30 followed by CERT and RACES Committee Breakouts from 7:30- 8:30 p.m. . Under the direction of Lt. Chris Kielich from the Anaheim Po- lice Department, the meeting scheduled for February 13th will include training on updating and programming your HAM Radio Frequencies. We hope to see you there! ---PAGE BREAK--- 30 CERT Volunteers and Fire Re- serves converged at the EOC on Friday, December 15th and Satur- day, December 16th to assemble 15 Neighborhood Response Kits. Each kit includes 2, 50-gallon wheeled bins that contain search and rescue equipment for a 10 person team and medical supplies to re- spond to over 100 victims. Funding for this extensive project was pro- vided by the Urban Area Securi- ties Ini- tiative (UASI) grant through the Ana- heim Bureau of Homeland Security. Eventually, each kit will be dis- seminated through- out the City of Ana- heim to all of our CERT Neighborhood Team Captains in addition to being stored within other cities throughout Orange County. To all of the volunteers who came out to help support this project, thank- you for your time! Volunteers Assemble 15 Response Kits! CERT Members Who Volunteered to Assemble Kits Betty Yonemura Cory Carmichall Rose Mary Valeriote Gerard Abadjian Jim Bonsteel Mariana Smith Cathy Perez Michi Rodgers Bill Kelly Dena Kohler Judith Afsahi Esther Goldstein Udelle Goldstein CERT and RACES Members Adopt-3-Families Our dedicated CERT and RACES Members answered the call of duty this holiday season by adopting 2 Ana- heim families to provide a festive Christmas for those in need. The response was so overwhelming that we re- ceived enough gifts and donations to adopt a third fam- ily! Thank-you to Walt and Anna Ehrmann and Jim Bonsteel for going out into the com- munity to receive donations from various businesses, including Stater Bros., 7-11, Target, and Kings Phar- macy. And, thank-you to Bill Kelly, Sharon Tieman, Earl Kelso, Gwen Bentley, Jim Bonsteel, Walt and Anna Ehrmann, Judy Huitt, John Henage, and Mariana Smith for all of your very generous dona- tions. CERT Meetings Continue on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month Join us at the Anaheim Emergency Operations Center on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at our new time for CERT Meetings. The meet- ing will commence from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with volunteer breakout sessions from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The breakout sessions will include volunteers who are part of the RACES team and CERT members who would like to sit on special committees related to Neighbor- hood Teams, Donations, Advisory Council, and Community Outreach. This is a new opportunity for our members to take a more active role in their communities and to be at the front lines in expanding the Anaheim CERT program! The Office of Disaster Prepared- ness is located at 909 E. Vermont Ave. in Anaheim. We hope to see you at our meetings on January 9th, February 13th and March 13th. ---PAGE BREAK--- What an exciting year it has been! In the wake of catastrophic disasters, including Hurri- cane Katrina, the Asian tsunami, and 9/11 there has been unprecedented focus on emer- gency management. This focus has provided greater challenges and opportunities through- out 2006 to improve our level of preparedness. Extensive training, workshops, and exercises have also allowed us to enhance our outreach to the community and better educate the public on how to be pre- pared and to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours or longer. As this year comes to a close we should take pride in our accomplishments, as we’ve many to be proud of. Earlier this year we launched ReadyOC. This web based information campaign encourages busi- nesses and individuals to be better equipped for a disaster. ReadyOC is sure to enhance education in emergency preparedness among the communities of Orange County. We have already had a lot of positive feedback on ReadyOC and encour- age everyone to log on and take ad- vantage of the information avail- able for dissemination. In addition, WebEOC is an emergency manage- ment system designed to enhance communication and coordination among jurisdictions. It is currently being implemented and will soon become a part of our day-to-day emer- gency management operations and procedures. Use of WebEOC will ex- pedite the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information and enhance emergency operations. And, Pandemic planning continues and workshops are being provided to help all of us in our planning efforts. As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season comes to a close, I look forward to a new year of contin- ued opportunities for growth and progress countywide. I would like to extend my personal thanks and gratitude to all of you for your commitment to emergency management and the communities we serve and for your tremendous support this past year. While New Years encourage new resolutions, it is also a time to re-evaluate where we are going as an organization. This is a time to welcome new leadership and fresh perspectives. A Happy and Safe New Year to All and To a Great 2007 Working Together! HAPPY NEW YEAR! By Ellen Lopez, Disaster Preparedness Manager “As this year comes to a close, we should take pride in our accom- plishments, as we’ve many to be proud of.” NIMS Class—IS-100, IS-700, & IS-200 Get up to date on your certification by completing the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Courses, IS-100 and IS-700. And, if you are a CERT Team Captain, complete the IS-200 all in the same day! These courses are new requirements to CERT Nationwide under new Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Guidelines. We are offering an in- person certification class on Saturday, February 10th from 9-5 pm at the EOC. E-mail [EMAIL REDACTED] to RSVP. CPR and First Aid Training Coming Your way Plans are being made with the American Red Cross to offer you a full-day CPR and First Aid Certification this coming March. Dates have yet to be determined, but keep your eye out in the Spring edition of the newsletter, our website, and via e-mail for more information on this class. If you have already completed a CPR and First Aid Class through another agency, bring a copy of your certification cards into the office to add to your file. ---PAGE BREAK--- Highlights of 2006 The 2006 year was a busy one, not only for the professional staff in the office, but also for our many volunteers who gave of their time so generously. Here are some highlights of what was accomplished during the year: * Over 500 hours of volunteer time donated * 7 CERT Classes Offered totaling over 150 hours of training * Anaheim’s first Teen CERT Training * Anaheim’s first Business CERT Training * Anaheim’s first Spanish CERT Training * Over 120 people CERT Certified by the end of the year * Over 300 people completing one or more of the CERT training modules * The implementation of our first Neighborhood CERT teams * Over 50 hours of Advanced Training Classes offered Congratulations on your involvement and many accomplishments this past year! Anna Ehrmann receives the Annie Accolade Award for Volunteer service 4th of July Dispatch Support Udelle Goldstein, Ethel Clayton, Judy Huitt, Barbara Lawrence Gwen Bentley on 4th of July Disney Goals CERT Class Pizza Party on the last day Disney Goals Simulation Exercise EOC Activation for Sierra Fire Earl Kelso and Tom Baldwin Hilton and Marriott CERT Class Practicing Cribbing Spring CERT Class Fire Sup- pression Hotels Simulation Exercise