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www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Spring 2009 CERT / RACES Newsletter Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Be prepared. Be aware. Be involved. www.anaheim.net/newdisasterprep Spring 2009 Edition In This Issue… Drought Emergency p. 2 RACES 5K Race p. 2 First Aid Corner p. 2 Team Captain Training p. 3 Radio Phonetics p. 3 RACES Volunteer Profile p. 3 Hospital/School Radio Network p. 4 California Disaster Corps p. 4 National Night Out p. 4 CERT Volunteer Profile p. 5 Anaheim Citizen Corps Council . p. 6 Earthquake Swarms p. 6 Volunteer Recognition p. 7 POD After Action Report p. 8 When Phones Won’t Work p. 9 Disaster Cut-Out Card p. 9 The Great ShakeOut p. 9 Flu Information p. 10 This year’s Field Day Event will take place on June 27 and 28 at Toyon Park, 945 S. Weir Canyon Rd. Ana- heim RACES will partner with CERT volunteers, girl scouts and boy scouts to host a complete weekend event for the public. Anaheim RACES will join with thou- sands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showcasing their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators provid- ing critical communications during un- expected emergencies in towns across America including the California wild- fires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events world-wide. When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communica- tions. Using only emergency power sup- plies, Anaheim RACES operators will assemble emergency stations at Toyon Park and will attempt to make as many radio contacts as possible; even run- ning communications operations throughout the night. Local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops have been invited to take part. CERT volunteers will capitalize on this event to practice their organization and by providing a first aid area. They will also have emergency displays and information on all of Anaheim’s emer- gency services and programs. We invite the public to attend this event and meet and talk with Anaheim RACES radio operators and other vol- unteers and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Join Us for Field Day June 27 & 28 In November 2008 the County exer- cised their plan to provide mass vaccina- tion to the public and sought locations to serve as a “POD”, or point of dispens- ing. Magnolia Baptist Church offered not only their facility but trained CERT Team Members and church members, many of whom took the day off from their jobs to assist in this effort. Over 700 flu shots were given during this drive-in and walk- in event for the community. I’m sure you’ve heard that TEAM is an acronym for “Together Everyone Achieves More”. The members of Mag- nolia Baptist Church are truly a TEAM; working together they enable them- selves but, their immediate community and the entire County to ‘achieve more’. With their unselfish giving, we will all benefit. Congratulations Magnolia Baptist Church, for demonstrating “Teamwork in EMS.” Magnolia Baptist Church Receives EMS Award In this Photo: Dr. Sam Stratton (County EMS Medical Direc- tor), Corey (the wonder dog!) Wylde, Jane Elder, RN (Advanced Life Support Program Coordinator), Greg Boswell, RN (EMS Program Mgr). In this Photo (Left to Right): Ken Prusinsk , K8CZB; Lou Jordan and Michi Rodgers, KD6GYL ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net On February 27, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a Drought Emergency, asking Califor- nians, particularly those in urban ar- eas, to conserve more water. State agencies were also asked to cutback landscape irrigation. Finally, the decla- ration ordered the streamlining of water projects that could boost supply from emerging alternatives like desalination and recycling. The lack of water has created other problems, such as extreme fire danger due to dry conditions, eco- nomic harm to urban and rural com- munities, loss of crops and the poten- tial to degrade water quality in some regions. At this time, the declaration does not yet call for mandatory cutbacks for water users in Anaheim. The dec- laration comes on top of an earlier June 2008 Executive Order from the Governor asking Californians to pre- pare for deteriorating drought condi- tions. The CERT/RACES Volunteer Newsletter is published quarterly in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall and is available free of charge. Spring 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] Governor Declares Drought Emergency RACES to Support Downtown Association 5K Race The Anaheim RACES program has more than doubled its membership since October of 2008. Due to the in- creased number of volunteers, the RACES group is able to support events like the Downtown Community Asso- ciation 5K Run in June. Volunteer Neil Smith, K6KWI, who joined us after last year’s Field Day in June has been working with the Down- town Association to coordinate radio communications for the event. Ana- heim RACES will provide emergency communications for the race and will be stationed around the race course in order to provide status reports and up- dates on the runners. Their primary responsibility is to facilitate communication of emergency situations and to deliver safety and administrative message traffic between the start, course and finish areas. Along the course radio operators provide services linking various sta- tions such as first aid, water, observa- tion points, supply vehicles and individ- ual race controllers. At the finish, operators provide logistical communi- cations for first aid areas and help with communication for lost and found items. The RACES members will host an information booth in the exhibitor area for the run. At the booth we will have radios on display for those interested in listening to the radio operators make announcements and give reports as runners pass by along the course route. First Aid Corner Diabetic Emergencies Diabetes is a condition in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use insulin effectively and people sometimes become ill because there is too much or too little sugar in their blood. Often, diabetics know what is wrong and will ask for something with sugar in it or may carry some form of sugar with them. If the diabetic person is conscious and can safely swallow food or fluids, give him or her sugar, preferably in liq- uid. Most fruit juices and non-diet soft drinks have enough sugar to be effec- tive. If the person’s problem is low blood sugar, sugar will help quickly. If the problem is too much sugar, the sugar will not cause any further harm. Always call 9-1-1 if: The person is unconscious or about to lose consciousness. The person is conscious and un- able to swallow. The person does not feel better within 5 minutes after taking sugar. In Diabetic Emergencies, Give Sugar Visit www.bewaterwise.com for more information ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 3 Our Neighborhood Team Captains have been meeting four times a year for advanced training so that they are better prepared when called to estab- lish their team site. On Saturday, March 21, 2009 team captains met with RACES volunteers to practice us- ing the Incident Command System (ICS) forms and help RACES members plan Field Day in June. Team Captains worked side-by- side with RACES to map the site and identify where they wished to locate equipment, stage check-in, host a first- aid station and serve meals. The group brainstormed opportunities for additional training while radio opera- tions for the Field Day event were tak- Team Captains Train With RACES Radio 101 Radio Phonetics Passing messages that con- tain difficult words such as places, names or initials is made easier by learning basic radio phonetics. A Alpha N November B Bravo O Oscar C Charlie P Papa D Delta Q Quebec E Echo R Romeo F Foxtrot S Sierra G Golf T Tango H Hotel U Uniform I India V Victor J Juliet W Whiskey K Kilo X X-Ray L Lima Y Yankee M Mike Z Zulu You can hear Ruth checking-in on Anaheim’s Monday night RACES net saying “YGW here”. Ruth was reading about Amateur Radio in Mobile Home News for Sen- iors at Long Beach College in July of 1999 and immediately became inter- ested to see what it was all about. Ruth attended a class taught by Chuck Williams, passed her novice exam and soon afterward obtained her technician license. Since then, she has obtained her general class license. Ruth learned about Ham Radio Outlet otherwise known as HRO to area amateurs and sometimes referred to as “The Candy Store.” At HRO she met Terry Dean who suggested that she get an Icom dual-bander 2M/440 hand held (IT-T7H). Ruth had a neighbor 2 doors down and together they started checking into Anaheim RACES. Ruth went to Ham-Con at the Queen Mary and entered into a draw- ing at the ladies ham booth. She won a bouquet of flowers. She then started to meet on the first Saturday at LARA (Ladies Amateur Radio Asso- ciation). There she met Bobbie Ray- mond who put her in contact with Henry Culli about operating a radio on the Queen Mary. He assigned Ruth to the Queen Mary each month on the 1st Monday to operate on old ham radio equipment there from 9 to 1. The sta- tion call letters are W6RO. Ruth cur- rently works with three men there. Ruth is one of the most active RACES members at 90 years young. She is currently studying for the Extra Class license. She claims that there are a lot of electronics to know to pass that license and is determined to get it. Ruth is thankful that she has been fortunate to have mentors help her un- derstand and move forward in the won- derful and fulfilling hobby of amateur radio. Look for Ruth at the meetings and other RACES activities during the year. You will find it a pleasure speak- ing with her. Thanks Ruth for being a part of our team! Volunteer Profile Ruth Ewoldt KF6YGW ing place. Ideas generated including practicing setting up “tent cities” and sheltering outdoors, emergency and outdoor cooking and even practicing first aid and triage. The group also extended invitations to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the American Red Cross who will be supporting the event. Team Captains will get a chance during Field Day to work as an incident commander and ensure the basics are handled for the event including: ensur- ing that volunteers and visitors check- in and properly demobilize; staff the first-aid and information booth; and become familiar with assigned posi- tions. In this photo (left to right): Richard Lewis, Robb Queen, Walter Ehrmann, Anna Ehrmann, Bob Heil- man, Neil Smith and Don Mendenhall. In this photo (left to right): Bob Heilman, Robb Queen, Elvia Queen, Walter Ehrmann, Anna Ehr- mann. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net 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. Hospital and School UHF Emergency Radio Network Through a grant from the Anaheim/ Santa Ana Urban Area Security Initia- tive (UASI), Anaheim Hospitals and select schools have been issued UHF radios to communicate with the Emer- gency Operations Center (EOC) during disasters. The radios allow amateur radio operators at the hospital to pass messages to RACES members at the EOC, helping our first responders iden- tify and respond to the needs of the community and allowing them to priori- tize incoming patients and hospital needs. Our goal is to incorporate our hos- pital and school partners into a radio net to test the radio capabilities. The next radio net will be scheduled for Tuesday, September 8 at 9:30 am. The hospital/school radio net will regu- larly follow the EOC to OA EOC radio net held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9:30 am. The California Volunteers Disaster Corps is a state-sponsored initiative designed to integrate, strengthen, and unify disaster volunteer programs un- der one name, one identity, and one brand. Through the California Volun- teers Disaster Corps, volunteers will be fully integrated into the state’s emer- gency management system. The state is currently finalizing this program and once complete our CERT and RACES volunteers and others will be able to complete additional training to be considered for state-wide deploy- ment in disasters. There are three classifications cur- rently proposed by the state: Li- censed Professional, for example, Phy- sician, Pharmacist, Engineer, etc.; Specialist, e.g. CERT, Radio Operators and Shelter Operators; and Gener- alist, which are not certified as a li- censed nor specialist and are classified as laborers under the Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program As the state further develops this program, we will be keeping you ap- prised of the details and upcoming train- ing requirements. Some of the training requirements mentioned include: Shel- ter Operations; ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS- 700 and ICS-800.b. All but ICS-200 and ICS-800 are required to be a CMAP volunteer. Starting early on training may be helpful, the following classes are pro- vided online: IS-100a: http://training.fema.gov/ EMIWeb/IS/IS100A.asp IS-200: http://training.fema.gov/ emiweb/is/is200a.asp IS-700: http://training.fema.gov/ EMIWeb/IS/is700a.asp IS-800.b: http://training.fema.gov/ EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp The National Association of Town Watch (NATW) has announced that the “26th Annual National Night Out (NNO) program will culminate on Tues- day, August 4, 2009. Anaheim CERT and RACES will participate in this year’s National Night Out organized by the Anaheim Police Department. National Night Out, a year-long community building campaign, is de- signed to: Heighten crime preven- tion awareness; Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; Strengthen neighbor- hood spirit and police-community part- nerships; and Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. National Night Out will be held at Stoddard Park at 5:00 pm. The park is also an official CERT Team gathering site! Meet our CERT and RACES vol- unteers and learn how to become a volunteer yourself. California Volunteers Disaster Corps ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 5 Volunteer Profile Yorba Regional Park Ishwar Chander and Cecilia Brown Have you noticed recycling boxes in our training room? So far, we’ve raised $200.12 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 recycle on your own, you are welcome to donate your recycling to the Anaheim Community Foundation CERT/RACES pro- gram. Money raised from our recycling program will benefit the CERT and RACES program and assists with pro- motional activities for both programs. We’ve been able to provide refreshments for our March graduate class as well as breakfast for our last CMAP Re- sponder class. Recycle your Bottles and Cans and help Anaheim’s CERT and RACES program. Yes we CAN! and bottle Yorba Regional Park is currently the team site furthest east within the City of Anaheim. Co-captains Ishwar Chander and Cecilia Brown are re- sponsible for the Yorba Regional Site. The team meets between the softball fields and equestrian corral at the park. Ishwar has been involved with CERT for the last 4 years and regularly participates in additional volunteer ac- tivities including preparing USO care packages for our armed forces in ac- tion. Ishwar works as a project engi- neer at Northrop Grumman Corp. As a six-sigma blackbelt, Ishwar mentors various teams in process improvement activities. In the academic arena, his research interest involves computer assignments and he has lectured at USC, UCLA and CSUF. Cecilia Brown was the first CERT volunteer to complete all of the training nec- essary to be a CMAP Responder. She has her amateur radio license (KI6GLH) and volunteers extensively with the Ameri- can Red Cross in their Disaster Ser- vice programs. As a child, Cecilia was brought up with the teaching that, “life isn’t about us and so we need to look out for the other guy.” That focus has lead her to become involved in a wide variety of emergency preparedness activities including: The American Red Cross; Trauma Intervention Program (TIP); Licensed Missionary; Medical Reserve Corps; CERT Trainer; Anaheim and LA CERT Teams. Cecilia emphasizes that she is a part of CERT because she is a part of the community and as her mother al- ways said, “we all need to help each other.” 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 Centralia District (11) Modjeska Park (10) Yorba Regional Park is located at 6700 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim 92807 Cecilia Brown Ishwar Chander ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net 2009 CERT and RACES Volunteer Calendar 9 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: CERT and RACES trailer set-up. Meeting at Modjeska Park, 1331 S. Nutwood. 27 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9 am—4 pm Toyon Park 27 RACES Field Day and Volunteer Picnic Sat., 8 am—4 pm Toyon Park 28 RACES Field Day Sun.., 8 am—12 pm Toyon Park 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., 5 pm—8 pm In lieu of the meeting this month, we will all be meeting at National Night Out. Stoddard Park, 1901 S. Ninth Street. 4 Business Preparedness (10 am— 12 pm) 8 CERT/RACES Meeting Tues., 6:30 pm Topic: National Preparedness Month Activities 19 CERT Team Captain Training Sat., 9 am—4 pm Calendar items and topics may be subject to change. Please refer to future email announce- ments and newsletters for the most up-to-date information. JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER Anaheim Citizen Corps Council Facts on Earthquake Swarms Earthquake swarms are events where a local area experiences se- quences of many earthquakes striking in a relatively short period of time. The length of time used to define the swarm itself varies, but the United States Geological Survey points out that an event may be on the order of days, weeks, or months. Typical earthquakes start out with a main shock followed by smaller after- shocks. In a swarm, clusters of earth- quakes — sometimes hundreds or thousands of them — hit close together in time and do not have an obvious main shock. Earthquake swarms frequently be- gin without explanation, continue for days, weeks, months or even longer and taper off without any major event. Currently, earthquake swarms are natural phenomena under investigation but have no value in “predicting” future quakes. Susan Hough, scientist-in-charge of the USGS Pasadena office, said people should not overreact to the quake swarm, but instead take the op- portunity to make sure they have a dis- aster kit ready. Before an earthquake assess your surroundings and secure items that can topple or fall. Make sure your go- bag and emergency kits are stocked with current supplies; check expiration dates on food ever 6 months. During an earthquake; drop, cover and hold on. When the shaking stops assess your surroundings, check for injuries and search for trapped people. RACES members should get on the air as soon as possible and check in. If the earthquake is 6.0M or greater, all CERT sites will be established. Afterwards, be vigilant of after- shocks and other disaster related oc- currences like small fires. Always maintain your safety and that of others. Mission The purpose of the council is to have all deci- sion makers at the table to manage existing volunteer resources, to leverage mutually sup- portive endeavors among represented groups, and to direct the overall local plans to imple- ment Citizen Corps in the community. Anaheim Council Council Membership Bob Hernandez, Mayor Pro Tem Tom Wood, Assistant City Manager Roger Smith, Fire Chief John Welter, Police Chief Terry Lowe, Community Services Director Kristine Ridge, Human Resources Director Scott Berg, Deputy Fire Chief Ben Hittesdorff, Lt. UASI Bureau Ellen Lopez, Disaster Preparedness Manager Corey Wylde, Community Representative Pat Russell, Fire Corps Mary Jo CERT & RACES Veronica Emami, VIPS & Neighborhood Watch The Anaheim Citizen Corps Coun- cil functions under the umbrella of the State and National Citizen Corps pro- grams. Citizen Corps is FEMA’s grassroots strategy to bring together government and community leaders to involve citizens in all-hazards emer- gency preparedness and resilience. Citizen Corps ask that you em- brace the personal responsibility to be prepared; to get training in first aid and emergency skills; and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and community safety. At a recent meeting of the Ana- heim Citizen Corps Council, Mayor Pro -Tem, Bob Hernandez encouraged the participation of all volunteer groups to participate in disaster preparedness activities. The Office of Disaster Prepared- ness will be offering information at fu- ture Citizen Corps Program meetings on participating in disasters. ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 7 Anaheim RACES Support May 19 Special Election Every election, Anaheim RACES stands ready to assist the County with ballot collection at two locations in Anaheim: Canyon Hills Library and Anaheim Main Police Station. We appreciate the support of our dedicated volunteers who serve as radio operators. We also wish to thank the many CERT volunteers who as- sisted with traffic direction at both loca- tions. RACES MEMBERS Tom Baldwin Don Mendenhall Austin Miller Ken Pruzinski Jonathan Ramos Bob Templeton CERT MEMBERS Allyson Baligad Jim Bonsteel Russ Farrell Tim Heckerman Claire Neises Eva Silverman Jerry Silverman Volunteers Assist at CPR Saturday For the past two years, Anaheim CERT and RACES members have as- sisted and staffed an information booth at the Orange County Red Cross CPR Saturday; this year on April 18. Each year this event is held at Angel Sta- dium of Anaheim and visitors to our community . VOLUNTEERS Russ Farrell Don Mendenhall Eva Silverman Volunteers Offer CPR, AED and First Aid Training In 2008 five CERT and RACES volunteers completed training as First Aid, CPR and AED instructors. On May 9 the first volunteer-led CPR, AED and First Aid class was offered in- house. We are grateful to the instruc- tors for providing training and look for- ward to additional classes. INSTRUCTORS Jonathan Ramos Jerry Silverman Rose Mary Valeriote Mass Care & Shelter Operations Training On Saturday, May 30 the American Red Cross offered Shelter Operations Training at the Anaheim Fire Depart- ment Office of Disaster Preparedness. We would like to extend a big Thank You! to Marilyn Reily. Marilyn provided an excellent class for CERT volunteers from throughout Orange County. The following organizations were repre- sented at the class: Anaheim CERT Brea CERT Garden Grove CERT Newport Beach CERT Irvine CERT Costa Mesa CERT We would also like to offer special thanks to the Anaheim CERT volun- teers who provided directional assis- tance and served as greeters. Jim Bonsteel Tamara Harne Carol Sundman Doug Sundman As volunteers load ballots into the trucks, Anaheim RACES volunteers call in the ballot box numbers to advise the County of which boxes to expect. Special thanks to SaRang Community Church in Anaheim for a very generous donation of $10,000 to the Anaheim Com- munity Foundation in support of Anaheim Fire Department educational programs including Community Relations ($7,500) and CERT ($2,500). Special thanks to American Red Cross Instructor, Marilyn Reily who offered a wonderful class on May 30! Bob and Debbie Heilman recently completed advanced training for their radio license. Please join us in con- gratulating Debbie and Bob for suc- cessfully completing the General exam on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Congratulations on Passing! ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness www.anaheim.net Mission Statement The City of Anaheim Community Emergency Response Teams strive 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 Radio Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is to provide ad- ditional communication support as directed by the Anaheim Fire De- partment Office of Disaster Prepar- edness and other government agencies during emergencies within the City of anaheim and the County of Orange, CA.. Point of Dispensing After Action Report The Anaheim Team provided an appropriate level of security during the delivery and distribution of medical supplies. Volunteers participate in section briefings . In this photo (left to right): Tim Heckerman, Debra Laub, Jim Bon- steel, Jerry Silverman Volunteers and Staff participate in demobilization at the end of the exercise. All ICS forms and evalua- tions were completed and submitted during demobili- zation. Volunteer check-in ran smoothly with CERT and Magnolia Baptist Church volunteers and assisting with distribution of assignments and vests. On November 7, 2008, Anaheim’s first Point of Distribution Site (POD) at Magnolia Baptist Church was exer- cised during the annual Orange County POD Exercise. Anaheim was one of two cities exercising newly planned POD Sites. As a result of the exercise, Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) published an official After Action Report (AAR), which is used to identify both positive experiences and the areas for improvement. Overall, the 2008 Exercise was noted for being the best collaboration thus far, including over 23 agencies collaborating between both POD sites in Irvine and Anaheim. Anaheim POD col- laboration included various city and county agencies, and volunteers from Magnolia Baptist Church, Anaheim CERT, Anaheim RACES, Anaheim Pub- lic Works, Anaheim Fire Department, Anaheim Police Department, Medical Reserve Corps, and American Red Cross. The POD exercise also effectively allowed participants to apply POD train- ing concepts developed by OCHCA. The Magnolia Baptist POD Site was specifically noted for outstanding Unified Command, timely briefings, site security, and staff registration. Anaheim also showed flexibility and adaptability when rearranging tents to better fit the flow of traffic, the walking path for walk-through vaccinations and rearranging staff regis- tration. Communications worked particularly well, with the communication unit forming two person teams and using both FRS and Amateur Radio to communicate; other positions had FRS radios. The command staff, sections chiefs and branch directors communicated on 800 MHz radio. The various frequencies were then all monitored by volunteers and staff as Net Control, thus ensuring the ability for all participants to commu- nicate. The Office of Disaster Prepared- ness would like to again thank all the volunteers and staff who supported the planning and execution of the 2008 POD Exercise at Magnolia Baptist Church, making our first POD Exercise a glowing success. ---PAGE BREAK--- www.anaheim.net Anaheim Fire Office of Disaster Preparedness Page 9 When Phones Won’t Work During large-scale emergencies, such as earthquakes, it is likely that phone services will be interrupted for a period of time. Letting your family know that you are ok immediately after an earthquake or other disaster can be challenging. Relying on RACES to help communicate messages or using web programs like the American Red Cross Safe-and-Well site are additional tools at your disposal. On July 29, 2008 the Chino Hills Earthquake caused a disruption in phone service that lasted 30 minutes; cell phones and landline phones were inoperable during that time. Even the 4.7 Lennox/Inglewood earthquake on May 17, 2009 caused a few problems for people attempting to use their cell phones. Immediately following both earth- quakes, Anaheim RACES radio opera- tors were on the air sharing information about the earthquake and standing by for any direction or orders to meet up with CERT teams located throughout Anaheim. For this reason, the Anaheim RACES group has advocated learning about amateur radio, obtaining an FCC license to operate and practicing with the group so that you may be able to communicate with one another during a major disaster. During and after disasters, Ama- teur radio operators set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emer- gency officials, as well as non- commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster. Amateur radio, often known as “Ham Radio,” is an effective means of communication when other systems are down. Radio operators learn how to set-up antennae and systems to communicate around an area of town. Study guides are available for those wishing to learn more about amateur radio and test for their FCC license. Practice tests are available online and by visiting www.arrl.com, you can learn of nearby testing sites where you can take the exam. After an Earthquake or Other Disaster Assess your surroundings. Check for injuries, give first aid, & search for trapped people. Check water, gas & electricity. Shut off at mains if damaged. Turn on radio or television for emergency bulletins. Check for structural damage. Prepare for aftershocks or other disaster-related occurrences. Call out-of-state contact: My closest team site Listen to Anaheim RACES frequency 146.265 PL +136.5 Listen for instructions broadcast by radio or TV. When reporting to your team site remember to bring your CERT/ RACES ID, hygiene items, go-bag, medications, and if necessary, your family. Anaheim CERT and RACES members are expected to report to their team site after a 6.0M or greater earthquake and after com- pleting critical personal and family emergency responsibilities. Cut out the card along the dotted- lines. Fold in half at the solid line. Keep with your wallet or ID for quick reference information. During large-scale emergencies phone service is unlikely to work due to demands on the system. The ShakeOut Drill is scheduled for 10 am on October 15, 2009. This means that wherever you are at that moment—at home, at work, at schook, anywhere, you should Drop, Cover and Hold On as if there were a major earth- quake occurring at that very moment. There will not be any freeway clo- sures, power outages, or other simu- lated effects of the hypothetical earth- quake. The ShakeOut is not some- thing you need to leave work to partici- pate in - in fact, partipating at work is one of the best ways you can spread the word about the ShakeOut and earthquake preparedness in general. The main goal of the ShakeOut is to get Californians prepared for major earthquakes, so use the ShakeOut as an opportunity to learn what to do be- fore, during and after an earthquake. V i s i t w w w . s h a k e o u t . o r g o r www.dropcoverholdon.org for tips on how to prepare for and understand earthquakes and earthquake safety. The Office of Disaster Prepared- ness will be providing more specific information regarding the drill as the date nears. ---PAGE BREAK--- Office of Disaster Preparedness 500 E. Broadway Anaheim, CA 92805 www.anaheim.net (714) 765-6951 Flu Information What is Influenza A H1N1 (swine flu)? H1N1 (referred to as “swine flu” early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have reported people sick with this new vi- rus. This virus is spreading from per- son-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influ- enza viruses spread. Are there human infections with this H1N1 virus in the U.S.? Yes. An updated case count of con- firmed novel H1N1 flu infections in the United States is kept at http:// w w w . c d c . g o v / h 1 n 1 f l u / investigation.htm. CDC and local and state health agencies are working to- gether to investigate this situation. What are the signs and symp- toms of this virus in people? The of this new H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symp- toms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death has oc- curred as a result of illness associated with this virus. Take these everyday steps to protect your health: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your begin or un- til you have been for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spread- ing the virus further. Information sources: http://www.cdc.gov http://www.ochealthinfo.com/ http://www.facebook.com/CDC CDC Hotline: [PHONE REDACTED] www.cdc.gov