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Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Winter 2009 CERT / RACES Newsletter Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Be prepared. Be aware. Be involved. www.anaheim.net/newdisasterprep Winter 2009 Triangle Complex Fire On November 15, 2008 at approxi- mately 10:30 a.m., the Anaheim EOC was activated for what became known as the Triangle Complex Fire. Anaheim RACES volunteers were in the middle of their annual exercise which was suddenly halted and efforts redirected to support EOC operations. EOC personnel began arriving at the EOC at 11:25 a.m. for a Level I activa- tion. Within an hour the fires jumped the freeway from Yorba Linda into Ana- heim. The activation status of the EOC was raised to a Level II. Forty-two EOC personnel were now on site at the EOC. By 1:24 p.m. multiple fires were burning in Anaheim Hills triggering the EOC activation status to a Level III. Mandatory evacuation orders were is- sued for 2,600 residences, about 8,000 people. In response to the evacua- tions, Katella High School was opened as a shelter site. By 5:00 p.m., 3,500 homes had been evacuated accounting for approximately 9,500 people who were affected by the fires. Eighty- seven EOC personnel had now re- ported to the EOC. The 91 and 57 freeways were closed in addition to multiple road clo- sures in the hills and canyon area due to heavy smoke and fire. Hundreds of motorists were stuck on the freeways, some fleeing from the fires. Calls were coming into the city’s information hot- lines from the public inquiring about freeway closures and evacuations. CERT and fire reserve volunteers were called in to assist with answering the public information hotlines. Volunteers provided information received from the city’s Public Information Officer (PIO) to the public throughout the activation. The majority of damages to private property in Anaheim was to the Cas- cades Luxury Apartments Homes. Eight additional residences located on Morn- ingstar and Laurel Tree were com- pletely destroyed. Most of these resi- dents evacuated to Katella High School shelter and waited anxiously for news of their homes. Gov. Schwarzenegger visited the shelter on Sunday morning to reassure displaced residents that relief assistance would be provided. Residents were later allowed to return to their residences to assess damages and were escorted by firefighters to gather belongings. Extensive damages were sus- tained to the Anaheim Wetlands, the city’s 7-acre wildlife refuge located at La Palma and Weir Canyon Road. Vegetation surrounding the wetlands were scorched, post signs and irriga- tion pipes were destroyed. The wet- lands contain 3 ponds and home to the Gnatcatcher and Least Bell’s Vireo, which are considered 2 species of en- dangered birds. Total losses (for Yorba Linda, Brea and Anaheim) included 30,305 acres burned, 192 residential structures de- stroyed (includes multi-family resi- dences), 123 residential structures damaged, 2 commercial property de- stroyed, 3 commercial property dam- aged, 21 outbuildings/other destroyed, 35 outbuildings/other damaged. Four- teen firefighters sustained minor inju- ries. Total Public Assistance damage and emergency expenses for this dis- aster are estimated at $114 Million. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness On November 18, 2008, the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency (FEMA) announced that a major disaster exists in the state of California and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the area struck by wildfires beginning on November 13, 2008 through November 28, 2008. The dec- laration allows federal funding be avail- able to affected individuals in Los An- geles, Orange, Riverside, and Santa Barbara counties. Assistance included grants for tem- porary housing and home repairs, low- cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners re- cover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organiza- tions on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal as- sistance, for Los Angeles, Orange, Riv- erside, and Santa Barbara Counties. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. President Declares Federal Aid for California Anaheim Hosts Local Assistance Center (LAC) In response to the aftermath of the Triangle Complex Fires, the City of Anaheim hosted the Local Assistance Center (LAC) for displaced residents affected by the fires. On November 18, 2008, representatives from over 35 government agencies, businesses and charitable organizations provided infor- mation to affected residents from Ana- heim, Brea, Yorba Linda, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar. Anaheim Community Services along with Orange County Social Ser- vices Agency coordinated the set-up of the LAC inside the East Anaheim Gym- nasium. The LAC was designed to be a “One Stop Shop” with a goal of mak- ing recovery as uncomplicated and convenient as possible for affected residents. Anaheim residents whose homes were destroyed or who were displaced by the fires were able to talk to city representatives regarding their utilities accounts. Information was provided and many questions answered as to what to do next and residents received guidance and explanations regarding the recovery and rebuilding process. Affected residents were able to come to the LAC and utilize the ser- vices and resources which included: wireless internet access, emergency public information, and public com- puters with printing capabilities and direct access to various local and state government agencies. A donations center was set up next door to the LAC. Donations poured in from local businesses and the public. Donations included food, clothing, ba- sic living necessities, gift cards, toys, tools and monetary donations. Children of families seeking assis- tance at the LAC fires were treated to a children’s “fun zone” play area to keep children supervised and entertained while their parents took care of busi- ness. Fire and police personnel were on hand to provide security and assis- tance as needed. The city’s IT con- tractor was on hand providing technical support as needed. City departments as well a outside agencies collaborated effectively to maintain an efficient op- eration and organized environment. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) arrived on November 20 to assist residents in filing FEMA applica- tions for funding. The Small Business Association (SBA) worked hand in hand with FEMA, offering low interest loans to cover needs that were not met by FEMA. More than 700 residents stopped by the LAC to handle busi- ness, which was open until November 26. Operations then shifted to a Disas- ter Recovery Center located next door in the Community Center staffed by FEMA and SBA. SBA continues to operate a Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) through January 22. Anaheim Planning Department Orange County Social Service Agency Staff FEMA trailer provided on-site support ---PAGE BREAK--- Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Page 3 Mitigation Efforts Make a Difference RACES volunteer Tom Baldwin helping to clear the repeater site over the summer. The burn pattern around the repeater. The cleared areas are plainly visible. We are all quite aware how heavy rains seem to follow every major fire disaster in Southern California, and the Triangle Complex Fire was no differ- ent. With the fire still being overhauled the week of November 17, rain was predicted only 10 days after the fires burned through the area. With the steep slopes in the burn areas were a concern, property owners of the Cascades Apartments consulted carefully with the City and with experts from the Burn Area Recovery Team (BART) as well as individuals from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Ser- vices (OES) and FEMA. Mitigation efforts were recom- mended and property owners complied with lightening speed. The area of greatest concern in Anaheim was the hillside immediately south of the Cas- cade Apartment Complex. Property owners are to be commended for their efforts. Landscape mitigation efforts quickly covered the hillside, rain gauges were installed, and crews were scheduled around the clock to monitor the hillside. As a precaution the apartment management notified residents of the The November 15 Triangle Com- plex Fire reinforced the importance of mitigation efforts. In Summer 2008, Anaheim Fire RACES volun- teers and reserves cleared brush around the KF6FM repeater site. The repeater, which is situated on a possibility of evacuation and Fire De- partment personnel went door-to-door making sure residents were aware of the possibility for evacuation, and what to do if an order was called. Anaheim Public Works crews were also out in full force clearing storm drains and channels before the rain fell. Equipment was pre-positioned in hill in Yorba Linda, was at significant risk as the fire burned through Co- rona, Anaheim and Yorba Linda. Photos clearly show how the mitiga- tion efforts helped protect the re- peater site. We greatly appreciate the work of our volunteers! RACES Workday Efforts Save Repeater Cascade Apartments Contractors after the mitigation work had been completed on the hillside. the area and sandbags were delivered to local fire stations for residents to protect their property from mud and run-off. After a heavy rainfall of 1.54 inches, and the following week with .57 inches, Anaheim was fortu- nate that no additional effects were felt from the rainstorms. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness The CERT/RACES Volunteer Newsletter is published quarterly in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and is available free of charge. Winter 2009 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] Free Flu Shots for Community The City of Anaheim is proud to announce Magnolia Baptist Church as Anaheim’s first official Point of Dis- pensing (POD) Site. The Anaheim Fire and Police Departments, Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA), Magnolia Baptist Church and other partners coordinated to establish the POD site. POD sites are locations identified within the city where goods and ser- vices can be distributed to the public in the event of a large disaster or emer- gency. The POD concept is nationally recognized and has been well tested in disasters over last few years, including this year’s gulf coast hurricanes. Ellen Lopez, Disaster Prepared- ness Manager visited POD sites which were activated in response to Hurri- cane Ike, and had impacted Texas this past September. Sites in Texas distrib- uted simple items like water, but POD sites can be used to distribute any pub- lic necessity such as: medication, first aid, food and blankets. Magnolia Bap- tist was developed as a POD for flu shot delivery, but Orange County’s POD design leaves the planning flexi- ble, so the site can be used as needed. On November 7 our planning ef- forts were tested as the HCA offered free flu shots and distributed 720 to the public by the end of the exercise. The through-put of cars averaged only 7 minutes per vehicle, making the drive- thru lanes a quick and efficient method of obtain- ing an injection. In fact, motorists did not need to leave their cars to obtain their shot; they just rolled down their window, rolled up their sleeve and they were on their way in no time through the park- ing lot exit. Over 170 vol- unteers from: Magnolia Church, CERT, RACES and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) participated in the exercise, contributing to our suc- cess. Set-up began at 7:30 a.m. with injections for volunteers starting at 10:30 a.m. and the general public from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for both walk-in and drive-thru traffic. Anaheim Fire Department, Office of Disaster Preparedness would like to thank Magnolia Baptist Church for the vital role they played in establishing the POD site and supporting the exercise. We would like to give a special thanks to the Anaheim Public Works depart- ment for providing barricades, vehicles and drivers for the exercise and equip- ment. We would also like to thank the numerous RACES and CERT mem- bers who gave their time providing lo- gistical support back and forth between the drive-thru areas to help regulate and organize communications via FRS and Amateur radio. With your help our community continues to grow in disas- ter preparedness. Delivery of medications to the POD site Volunteers were the first to receive free flu shots for working the event Magnolia Baptist Church parking lot set up to accommodate 7 drive-thru lanes ---PAGE BREAK--- Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Page 5 History was made on November 13, 2008, as over 5.3 million people participated in the largest earthquake drill in American history. The drill started at 10 am and simulated a mag- nitude 7.8 earthquake: broken win- dows; toppled buildings; severed free- ways; and widespread utility outages were some of the simulated situations posed to staff and volunteers through- out the exercise. All of these events were part of the Great Southern Cali- fornia Shake Out scenario developed by Dr. Lucy Jones and a team of ex- ceptional geologists and scientists. The drill took place with support from a variety of groups, including: me- dia, elementary schools, colleges and universities, businesses, government agencies, hospitals, community groups, faith-based organizations, indi- viduals and the community. Anaheim supported the Shake Out by encourag- ing businesses, city departments, schools, and the community to partici- pate in the drill and to take steps to prepare themselves and their families in the event of an earthquake. Over 3.9 million students partici- pated in the drill; dropped under their desks, covered their heads, and held on until the “shaking” subsided. In Ana- heim, over 30,000 students among the 7 Anaheim School Districts participated in the drill. CERT and RACES members par- ticipated at five CERT sites in Ana- heim: West Anaheim Youth Center and Police Station; Magnolia Baptist Church; Magnolia School District; Al- bert Schweitzer School and the Emer- gency Operations Center (EOC). Vol- unteers practiced setting up their rally site, inventoried equipment and called in their status via radio to the EOC. RACES volunteers reported to the EOC to assist with communications both in the EOC and out in the field. Radio operators helped pass mes- sages to the County Operational Area EOC as the drill included simulated phone outages for the first 30 minutes. Anaheim activated the EOC to a Level III, with 95 employees participat- ing in the activation. The EOC was activated for 4 hours, and used simu- lated newscasts and pre-designed ex- ercise injects, creating a controlled but realistic exercise. Throughout the state, Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) activated to various levels and tested their well trained and practiced skills. Overall participation included state offices, various regional offices, 12 counties, numerous cities, including 17 cities throughout Orange County, and other agencies who participated at either a Level I, II or III EOC activation. A great deal of interest in the exer- cise was generated due to the timeli- ness of this exercise following the 5.4 Chino Hills earthquake on July 29. This was an excellent reminder for staff, volunteers and the general public about what steps to take during an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold On. Anaheim Fire Department, Office of Disaster Preparedness would like to thank all our volunteers that partici- pated in the drill and exercise, and helped to create awareness and pro- mote preparedness through supporting the Great Southern California Shake Out and the 2008 Golden Guardian Exercise. Anaheim EOC staff John Hennage answering phone calls at the EOC Ken Pruzinski, Debbie Heilman, Maureen Azeltine EOC Policy Staff receiving reports from personnel Staff ducked, covered and held on as the Earthquake Simulation started the exercise. Anaheim Participates in the Great Southern California Shakeout ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Volunteer Profile Ken Pruzinski K8CZB 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 KF6FM 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. Ken Pruzinski, a.k.a. K8CZB is one of our original RACES volunteers. Ken joined Anaheim RACES in the late 80’s and has been with us ever since. While working a summer job as a Motorola car radio distributor in Cleve- land Ohio, Ken met amateur or “ham” radio operators “W8MUA & W8MGZ”, twin brothers from Grand Rapids Michi- gan. They invited Ken to their home and showed him how they made con- tact with people over the airwaves with their ham radio. They let Ken make some contacts over the radio which got him interested in amateur radio. In 1960, Ken received his Novice license (KN8CZB) by taking a written and Morse code test. Back in those days, Morse code was required to get your Novice license. With his love for electronics, Ken put together his own home base station and was on the air. Ken holds a Physics degree, is mar- ried with 2 grown children. Ken also belonged to the Clara and Newport ra- dio groups for a few years. Now known as K8CZB, Ken is one of our “regular” radio operators that have supported all the Elections and is one of our Monday Night Net’s Net Control. November 4, 2008 Presidential Elections will be remembered as one of our nation’s most historical events. The election was the first time in U.S. history that an African American was elected president. OC RACES put the call out to all RACES organizations for volunteer radio operators to be part of the Ballot Transportation Team which provides transportation, security and amateur radio communications support during the elections. With voter turnout ex- pected to be the highest ever, RACES and CERT volunteers teamed up to support Anaheim’s two collection cen- ters. RACES volunteers Tom Baldwin and Chief Radio Operator Bob Templeton were assigned to the Can- yon Hills Library located in Anaheim Hills. CERT volunteers Tim Hecker- man and Jim Bonsteel assisted in traf- fic control. Over at the police main station parking lot, RACES volunteers Austin Miller and Ken Pruzinski once again took up their positions. With at least 5 elections under their belts, this was becoming routine for them. Expecting long lines of cars and longer waiting time to drop off voter equipment and precinct boxes, CERT volunteers Jack and Allyson Baligad, John Henage, Claire Neise, Jerry and Eva Silverman, Don Mendenhall, Paul Haupert, Russ Farrell and RACES vol- unteer Jonathan Ramos were sta- tioned outside the entrance and throughout the parking lot handling traffic and directing the vehicles to the unloading area. CERT volunteers were issued FRS radios which allowed communication between the volun- teers. FCC license is not required to operate an FRS radio and does not interfere with amateur radio. To everyone’s surprise, all the pre- cinct boxes were brought in early and both collection centers were able to shut down by 11:30 p.m. A very big THANK YOU to all our volunteers who helped out on that his- torical night. RACES and CERT Support History Making Presidential Elections California’s AB 38, signed by Gov. Schwar- zenegger in Sep- tember, estab- lished the Califor- nia Emergency M a n a g e m e n t Agency (CalEMA) as a Cabinet-level entity responsible for emergency management and homeland security operations. This bill combined the two agencies, Gover- nor’s Office of Homeland Security (OHS) and the Office of Emergency Services (OES) into one agency. The bill gives the merged agency the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating emergency preparedness, response, recovery and homeland se- curity activities in the state. Many other states have already consolidated their emergency management and homeland security operations into an overarching state emergency manage- ment agency. Gov. Schwarzenegger has ap- pointed Matthew Bettenhausen acting secretary of CalEMA. California Merges Emergency Services and Homeland Security ---PAGE BREAK--- Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Page 7 Volunteer Profile Walter and Anna Ehrmann Twila Reid Park Team Captains Have you noticed recycling boxes in our training room? So far, we’ve raised $65.33 from recycling bottles and cans. You can help us achieve our goal of $500 by bringing in your rinsed cans and bottles each meeting night. We’ll take them in for recycling. Alternately, if you re- cycle on your own, you are welcome to donate your recycling to the Anaheim Com- munity Foundation CERT/RACES pro- gram. Money raised from our recycling program will benefit the CERT and RACES program and assists with promo- tional activities for both programs. Recycle your Bottles and Cans and help Anaheim’s CERT and RACES program. Yes we CAN! and bottle Walter and Anna Ehrmann have been the team captains at Twila Reid Park CERT Rally Point for the last two years. Twila Reid hosted the first CERT activation after the neightbor- hood teams were established. Since then, the team has grown to over 20 individuals and the equipment has been moved from the Ehrmann’s home to Fire Station 11 making it easier and more efficient to set-up in the aftermath of a large scale disaster. Walter and Anna first affiliated with the CERT program in 2001. Since then they have attained a Level III cer- tification in CERT, having taken classes such as Shelter Training, First Aid and CPR in addition to other ad- vanced classes. They have also com- pleted the Train the Trainer class and have helped with disaster prepared- ness presentations at local schools and community groups. Both are experienced with exer- cises and real-world activations. They have regularly volunteered their time to assist with answering the hotline for the Windy Ridge and Sierra Peak fires, and most recently Anna helped with the Triangle Complex fire calls. Last year’s firestorms brought the two to Irvine Regional park for the first mutual aid deployment of CERT volunteers where they helped to distribute re- source items to firefighters and person- nel at the command post. In November 2007, Walter com- pleted his amateur radio licensing, KI6OIW, and recently became a mem- ber of the RACES team. We know that Walter and Anna will bring their skills and knowledge suc- cessfully back to their community at Twila Reid Park. If you live near Twila Reid Park and wish to participate with their group, please contact [EMAIL REDACTED]. Anaheim CERT Neighborhood Team Rally Points Twila Reid Park West Anaheim Youth Center & PD Magnolia Baptist Church Hampton, Chain, Gain St. Stoddard Park Pearson Park Yorba Regional Park Albert Schweitzer School Magnolia School District The pavilion at Twila Reid Park is the CERT meeting place for the Twila Reid CERT Team. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness 2009 CERT and RACES Volunteer Calendar 13 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: CERT Levels, recertificatio- tion, CMAP and RACES member ship and code of conduct. 17 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9am—4 pm CMAP Certification training. Worki ng lunch, please bring a pot-luck item to share. 10 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: NIMS and SEMS review 12 Mass Care Overview Thurs. 7:00—10:00 pm Red Cross (714) 481-5300 6-8 CERT Class Fri: 5:30—9:30 pm Sat. & Sun: 8 am—5 pm 10 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: NIMS Testing. Review of RACES and CERT manual. 21 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9 am—4 pm 4 CMAP Certification Training Sat. 8am—5 pm 14 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: CMAP Incident Command System Module 18 Mass Care Overview Sat. 1:00—4:00 pm Red Cross (714) 481-5300 18 American Red Cross CPR Satur- day www.oc-redcross.org Sat. 7:30 am—3 pm Volunteer opportunity 9 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: Setting up the CERT and RACES trailer for an incident. Meeting will be held off-site, loca tion TBA. Drill involving check-in, briefings and demobilization. 17-18 Shelter Operations W & Th. 8:00 am—4:00 pm Register with Social Services Kevin Hill (714) 245-6166 27 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9 am—4 pm Toyon Park 27 RACES Field Day and Volunteer Picnic Sat., 9 am—4 pm Toyon Park 28 RACES Field Day Sat., 9 am—4 pm Toyon Park 4 July 4th Volunteering TBA 11 CERT Recertification Training Sat., 8 am—12 pm Sat., 1 pm—5 pm Choose either the am or pm class 14 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: CMAP Documentation Module 4 National Night Out and Meeting Tues., 6 pm—9 pm In lieu of the meeting this month, we will all be meeting at National Night Out. Location TBA. 8 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: National Preparedness Month Activities 19 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9 am—4 pm 3 RACES Countywide Exercise Sat., 8:00 –11:00 am 3 CERT/RACES Sat., 10:00 am—12:00 pm *Note different day and time for meeting. 16-18 CERT Class (Location TBD) Fri., 5:30—9:30 pm Sat., & Sun., 8 am-5 pm 9 Adult CPR, AED & First Aid Sat. 9 am—6:30 pm 12 RACES/CERT Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: CMAP, CERT and RACES Radio Operations Module and Message Handling. Bring your FRS, GMRS, or Ham Radio for an activity. 10 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: Light Search & Rescue 8 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: Holiday Potluck Calendar items and topics may be subject to change. Please refer to future email announcements and newsletters for the most up-to-date information. JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER For Shelter Training Classes please visit the Red Cross Website at: www./oc-redcross.org or call (714) 481-5300 ---PAGE BREAK--- Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Page 9 Resolve to be Ready With the new year approaching, the U.S. Department of Homeland Se- curity’s (DHS) Ready Campaign is re- minding Americans to Resolve to be Ready in 2009. Resolve to be Ready is a nationwide effort designed to encour- age individuals, families, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies in the new year. “Individual planning is the corner- stone of emergency preparedness,” said Homeland Security Secretary Mi- chael Chertoff. “Since establishing this department and Ready, we have come a long way in raising the baseline of preparedness in this country, but we still have a long way to go. As 2009 approaches, I urge all Americans to consider the importance – and real value – of being prepared for all haz- ards.” Being Ready for emergencies can be an easy new year’s resolution to keep by following the Ready Cam- paign’s three simple steps: 1) Get an emergency supply kit; 2) Make a family emergency plan; and 3) Be informed about the types of emergencies that can happen in your area and their ap- propriate responses. By taking these three steps – in particular having an emergency supply kit both at home and in the car – Americans will be prepared for winter mainstays like power outages and icy roads. Each of these kits should in- clude basic necessities such as water, food and first aid supplies to help you survive if you are without power or be- come stranded in your vehicle. Com- plete checklists for each kit are avail- able at www.ready.gov. This year, the Ready Campaign is employing new media strategies to promote emergency preparedness. By using Twitter, a social networking tool, Ready hopes to not only reach new audiences, but also to open the lines of communication with the public, ensur- ing emergency preparedness is top of mind year-round. Twitter users can stay up-to-date on the latest Ready activities by following their username, “ReadydotGov,” on Twitter. By making the decision to Resolve to be Ready in 2009 and following the simple preparedness steps in advance, Americans will minimize the impact of emergencies on themselves, their fam- ily and their businesses. By visiting www.ready.gov or calling 1-800-BE- READY, individuals can access free materials that will help them make and keep a new year’s resolution that will bring their families peace of mind. Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed. The RACES volunteers have been very giving of their time and effort this year working on our Emergency Com- munications Trailer. This resource was originally donated to the Anaheim Fire Department for use as a mo- bile instructional platform to teach stu- dents about the importance of fire safety. In its second life, we have been transforming it into a mobile emergency communications unit to be utilized as a regional resource in times of need. We tore out the existing steel walls and cleaned the outside surfaces. We installed a new floor and added new carpet. All the labor and materials to date have been donated by a very generous group of folks. Recent progress includes the craft- ing and installation of a professional workspace to perform our radio opera- tions. We approached Mr. Vinnie Nardo, owner of Reborn Cabinets in Anaheim and is also one of our very own CERT and RSVP volunteers. We are grateful that he was all to happy to assist. His professional craftsmen de- signed, crafted and installed a beautiful work space inside the trailer. With the cabinets installed we may now install the radio equipment. Along that front, we have been receiving do- nated radio gear that will at least get us started toward making this a usable platform as we wait for designated funding from a grant that is being proc- essed. With all of your help in the upcom- ing months, this resource will become a reality! We continue to count on your continued assistance in upcoming work days to fulfill our goal of an operational trailer. Thanks to Vinnie and to all of you for your continued generosity. Emergency Communications Trailer Progress by Chris Pena Workspace installed by Reborn Cabinets of Anaheim ---PAGE BREAK--- Office of Disaster Preparedness 500 E. Broadway Anaheim, CA 92805 www.anaheim.net (714) 765-6951 Anaheim Community Emergency Response Team Training March 6-8 Disasters can happen at any time in Anaheim. We experience earthquakes, fires and flooding. Are you prepared to handle an emer- gency that is large in scale? In California, local government is the first to respond to emergencies with additional personnel and equip- ment from neighboring cities and counties available to assist if needed. However, in a large scale disaster such as a damaging earth- quake, flood or fire, emergency re- sources may not be immediately available. Individuals, neighborhoods, busi- nesses and schools may be on their own for 72 hours or more. CERT training will provide you with the nec- essary and practical skills to help yourself, your family and your neighborhood until trained emergency personnel arrive. Remember – preparedness is key to survival! The CERT training is a 20-hour course approved by the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency, and pro- vides critical skills in emergency pre- paredness and response. As a mem- ber of a CERT team, you can respond to disasters and participate in drills and exercises. In addition to supporting emer- gency responders during a disaster, the CERT program builds strong work- ing relationships between emergency responders and the people they serve. CERT Training 2009 Friday, March 6 5:00 to 9:30 pm Disaster Preparedness, CERT & Terrorism Saturday, March 7 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Fire suppression, Medical Ops I & II, Light Search & Rescue Sunday, March 8 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Disaster Team Organi- zation, Simulation Classes are held at the Disaster Preparedness Office. Classes are open to all residents countywide. The fee is $15.00. Pre-registration is required. To register please call 714-765- 6955 or email [EMAIL REDACTED]