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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 2008 [EMAIL REDACTED] www.anaheim.net/disasterpreparedness/cert It’s hard to believe that another year has passed…and it has flown by! Re- markable things happened in RACES and CERT throughout 2007. Here is your year in review: • Two CERT Training Courses were offered. A total of 79 new CERT members joined our team. • Anaheim RACES increased its membership by 30% and par- ticipated in three countywide exercises. • Six new CERT Volunteers rose to a higher level to take on the role of CERT Neighborhood Team Captain and lead their own community teams. • Over 100 CERT Members are an active Level 1, 2 or 3 volun- teer and meet the minimum qualifications for an official activa- tion, which is an increase of 50% from 2006. • CERT Volunteers participated in over ten community outreach events and distributed preparedness literature to over 3,000 individuals. • Over 120 CERT and RACES members attended meetings, with an av- erage of about 40-50 participants per month. • Members provided over 1,250 hours of volunteer service. • Anaheim volunteers participated in the first countywide Volunteer Mutual Aid Drill and Simulation Exercise. • CERT and RACES were involved in the first Mutual Aid call-out for the Santiago Wildfire (see pg 4 for full story). Continued on page 2 Reminiscing on the Past and Reflecting on the Future In This Issue: • CERT Mutual Aid Activation, p. 4 • 2008 First Quarter Training Schedule, p. 3, 6, 7 • 2008 Emergency Survival Program, p. 5 • Eye on Influenza, p. 5 • 2008 CERT and RACES Goals, p. 3 Office of Disaster Preparedness Staff: Ellen Lopez, Debbie Heilman, Mary Jo Michele Rivard ---PAGE BREAK--- Continued from page 1 Great accomplishments such as those mentioned, are a result of the dedication, hard work and generous time provided by our committed volunteers. The following endearing poem truly captures the heart and soul of our volunteer organization. Valuable is the work you do. Outstanding is how you always come through. Loyal, sincere and full of good cheer, Untiring in your efforts throughout the year. Noteable are the contributions you make. Trustworthy in every project you take. Eager to reach your every goal. Effective in the way you fulfill your role. Ready with a smile like a shining star. Special and wonderful, that’s what you are. –author unknown As you reminisce on all that has been accomplished in 2007 and move into 2008, take the time to thank one of our hard-working volunteers who have given so much of themselves so that Anaheim CERT and RACES can continue to grow in numbers and effect ongoing change within our community. Thank-you for all that you do to support our organization! Over 250 Hours of Service Walter Ehrmann Anna Ehrmann 75-100 Hours of Service Russ Farrell 50-75 Hours of Service Nancy Baldwin (RACES) Bob Templeton (RACES) Judy Afsahi (RACES) Maureen Azeltine Tom Baldwin (RACES) Jonathon Ramos (RACES) 25-50 Hours of Service Michi Rodgers (RACES) Ruth Ewoldt (RACES) Bill Kelly 10-25 Hours of Service Eva Silverman Ken Pruzinsky (RACES) Mariana Smith Bob Heilman (RACES) Jerry Silverman Gwen Bentley Jim Bonsteel Judy Huitt John Henage 1-10 Hours of Service Barbara Lawrence Paul Haupert Rose Mary Valeriote Dave Ostby Claire Neises Pat Kotter Bill Estep Udelle Goldstein Randy Worrel Norma St. John Walt Ehrmann discussing CERT to community officials and firefighters John Henage, Norma St. John and Mariana Smith-Twila Reid Station 11 dedication, July 2007 Volunteers listening attentitively at the October, 2007 CERT Meeting ---PAGE BREAK--- Scheduling Change Beginning Monday, January 7, Michele will be working part time in the Office of Disaster Preparedness. If you need to reach her, she will be in the office and available on Tues- day afternoons. During the rest of the week, you can continue to call the CERT and RACES Hotline at (714) 765-6949 or e-mail [EMAIL REDACTED] or [EMAIL REDACTED] and she will return your call as soon as pos- sible. And, don’t forget, the CERT Website is a great place to receive information on up- to-date training classes and volunteer op- portunities. 2008 CERT and RACES Goals As we close out a very successful year and surge forward into 2008 now is the time to set goals and ex- pectations. Goals play an integral and critical role in keeping us fo- cused. Goals set expectations and allow us to stay on track and avoid distractions. While setting new goals, keep in mind to also review your family emergency plans and to make sure they are up to date. With that, goals for both CERT and RACES are as follows: • Expand membership and volunteer oppor- tunities • Fully integrate CERT & RACES teams • Expand coordination with other agencies and volunteer organizations • Increase participation in local and county exercises such as: Western BBQ in May; RACES Field Day; National Night Out; Coun- tywide RACES October Exercise; November 2008 Golden Guardian Exercise; and sup- porting the 2008 Presidential Elections • Provide additional training opportunities for Neighborhood Team Captains and volun- teers • Increase participation in Community Out- reach • Increase the number of CERT Neighbor- hood Team Captains and CERT Level 2 & 3 volunteers With continued support from all of you we are certain to reach and/or exceed our goals. “The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.” -Brian Tracy Happy New Year! CERT and RACES Meetings CERT and RACES Meetings will continue to meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Office of Disaster Prepar- edness. Mark your calendar for our meet- ings on January 8, February 12, March 11, and April 8. American Red Cross Shelter Operations Training Shelter Operations Training on Saturday, March 1 and 8 from 9-4 pm at the Office of Disaster Preparedness. RSVP to Michele by February 26 to participate in this class. Completion of this training series goes to- ward Anaheim CERT, Level 2 requirements. ---PAGE BREAK--- Orange County Requests CERT Mutual Aid In Its First Countywide Activation At approximately 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 21, the Santi- ago Canyon and Modjeska Canyon areas of Orange County erupted in wildfire as a result of an arsonist. With fires blazing throughout the entire Southern part of the state, resources were limited and the spread- ing fire threatened thousands of homes and other properties. The Orange County EOC activated shortly after the start of the fire to support the re- sponse efforts in the field. At 11:00 p.m., an official request was made for volunteer support to assist at the Incident Command Post, located in Irvine Park. By midnight, October 22nd, Anaheim volunteers were being requested to respond to the Incident Command Post (ICP) at 6:00 a.m. on the following morning along with CERT volunteers from 17 other cities throughout Orange County. Early that morning, 37 volunteers representing Anaheim, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Irvine, Huntington Beach and numerous other cities responded to the call and began working under the direction of the Logistics Section. For ten days, CERT Volunteers were asked to sup- port the Santiago Canyon Wildfire. On day one, they assisted in the efforts utilizing no more than a few picnic tables and their personal grab ‘n go bags. By the second day of operation, Dana Point CERT brought their response trailer to serve as the central hub for all CERT volunteers. Throughout the op- eration, volunteers participated in shuttling first re- sponders, assisting in damage assess- ment of the im- pacted homes, dis- tributing supplies to fire fighters, collecting do- nated goods, assisting with food and beverage services, and managing check-in at the front gates. The CERT Trailer became self-titled “CERT Mart,” and became a one stop shop for the first responders to acquire much needed supplies such as toothpaste, pillows, blankets, medica- tion, sunscreen, chapstick, t-shirts, socks, underwear and many more sup- plies. The food and beverage center was given the nick- name “CERTBUCKS” as a result of their commitment to have a pot of fresh coffee ready for the responders coming back from the front lines. By the end of the fire, over 280 volunteers throughout Orange County participated, donat- ing more than 3,350 hours at a cost savings of over $75,000 in personnel expenses! By Walter Ehrmann (CERT Volunteer) and Michele Rivard (CERT Coordinator) CERT Coordinators from through- out Orange County. CERT Volunteer greeting the Governor during the fire. Walt and Anna Ehrmann distributing pillows at ICP Gwen Bently (right) working alongside an OC volunteer. CERT Responders arriving to the early morning activation ---PAGE BREAK--- Eye on Influenza Orange County Health Care Agency, Epidemiology & Assessment U.S. Department of Health and Human Services releases toolkit to promote local pandemic preparedness Recently, toolkit materials were devel- oped based on input received from community leaders and CDC during a 5-week blog series and leadership fo- rum held earlier this year. These mate- rials are intended for community groups such as churches and busi- nesses, healthcare and civic organiza- tions, and can be adapted to meet the needs of each entity. The toolkit in- cludes: templates for publicizing cam- paigns to stockpile food; checklists; fact sheets; sample e-mails; sample news- letter articles; and provides ideas about incentives for attending pandemic plan- ning meetings and related activities. To access the toolkit, see http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ takethelead/index.html. Avian Influenza Update As of Decem- ber 14, 2007 • Myanmar had confirmed its first human H5N1 case, bringing the total of countries with confirmed human cases to 13. • 340 human H5N1 cases have been confirmed. H5N1 infected birds have been reported in multiple ar- eas in Asia, Africa an Europe. Recommended Resources CDC: OC: http://www.ochealthinfo.com/epi/ flu/surveillance.htm CA: http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/dcdc/ VRDL/html/FLU/Fluintor.htm Don’t Wait Too Late in 2008! Each month, this ESP series examines a different aspect of all haz- ards preparedness for homes, neighborhoods, business and schools. By the end of a year, you can better prepare your family, neighbors, co-workers and classmates to work together to provide relative safety and comfort during the first hours and days following a disaster. Visit http://lacoa.org/esp.htm for focus sheets to assist in your preparedness initiatives. January Floods Storms can cause flash floods, create power outages and damage homes. Assemble emergency supplies to include sand bags, identify safe routes, and teach children to avoid areas of potential flooding. When flooding occurs, listen to the radio or watch television for infor- mation and instructions. February Landslides/Mudslides Significant property damage can be caused by landslides and mud- slides. Prepare an evacuation kit to include important documents and irreplaceable items such as photographs. When it rains, monitor the amount of rainfall and look for warning signs of landslides and mud- slides such as new springs, tilted trees or new 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 earthquake lasting 20 seconds or more or learn about a tsunami watch or warn- ing, move to high ground (two miles inland or 100 feet above sea level) immediately. April Earthquakes No one knows when the next earthquake will happen, but we can re- duce its impact by being prepared. Identify hazards and remove or reduce them. Store emergency supplies and replenish them annually. Educate your family where to drop, cover, and hold on and take a first aid course. Conduct practice drills on a regular basis. ---PAGE BREAK--- When an Emergency Strikes… Class Location Magnolia Baptist Church 720 S. Magnolia Anaheim, 92804 www.anaheim.net CERT Training January 2008 Friday, January 11 6:00-9:00 p.m. Disaster Preparedness CERT & Terrorism Saturday, January 12 9:00-5:00 p.m. Fire Suppression Medical Operations I Medical Operations II Friday, January 25 6:00-9:00 p.m. Light Search and Rescue Saturday, January 26 9:00-5:00 p.m. Disaster Team Organization Disaster Simulation For Registration Information, visit www.anaheim.net or e-mail [EMAIL REDACTED] Registration fee of $5 is due at first class ---PAGE BREAK--- ...Will You be Ready to Save a Life? While you can’t predict when an emergency will occur, you can be prepared. In less time than you think, American Red Cross training can give you the vital knowledge and skills you’ll need to respond to a life-threatening situation with confidence. Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED training will teach you to: Care for conscious and unconscious choking victims Perform CPR Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) on a victim of sudden cardiac arrest Give first aid for a variety of injuries, such as burns, wounds, head, neck and back injuries, and heat and cold-related emergencies Manage sudden illnesses, stroke, seizure, bites and poisoning You’ll also receive a participant’s workbook and laminated Adult CPR/AED and First Aid skill cards that include full-color images and easy-to-read text that will walk you step by step through a variety of life- saving skills. The skill cards will also serve as an excellent refresher and reference tool after training is complete. Mark your calendar today for our next training session: Date: February 9, 2008 Course: Standard First Aid with CPR/AED—Adult Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Location: Anaheim Disaster Preparedness Office, 909 E Vermont Ave., Anaheim Fee: $20.00 For more information, contact Mary Jo at (714) 765-6955 Anaheim CERT Disaster Preparedness Office Proud Provider of American Red Cross Health and Safety Training TRAINED. EMPOWERED. PREPARED.