Saturday, November 13, 2010

Mira Mesa Team Newsletter 11/9/10

Good morning, here is the news:

******MIRA MESA******

Please join me in welcoming our new Academy graduates:
Noel Encarnacion
Ara Simpelo
Jennifer Tang
Carmen Torres
Karen Nicholson (transfer from San Marcos CERT)

Team Meeting—Tomorrow, November 10, starting at 5:30 (most of our meetings start at 6), at my house 10125 Baffin Drive.  If you have a readily portable folding chair you can bring it along, we're always a little short.  Please leave the Barcalounger at home, it's a small house.  We've got a pack expert in our group, Bradley Buffett, who will hold forth on where to put stuff in your GoPack and preparing in general for deployment.  Bradley is a veteran Sierra Club hiker.  I can tell you from experience that a multi-day trip with them makes you think seriously about your pack.  Loading the gear correctly can add greatly to your endurance and comfort.  If Bradley leaves any time I'll bring everyone outside to review utility shut-off.  Remember it will be DARK and probably a little nippy, plan accordingly.  We'll break promptly at 6:30.  See you there.

*****BATTALION 5*******

New Date For Mass Casualty Drill—The Mass Casualty drill with North County Transit District has been moved from tomorrow, 11 November to 17 November.  Times are still the same, load at the Sorrento Valley Transit Station at 9:00am, then apparently a short trip on the train down to the Miramar siding where the drill will occur.  They will provide lunch, then back to Sorrento Valley by 1:00.  NCTD will want their train back for obvious reasons, so we can assume that this will end pretty close to on time.  I know it is tough to make these things mid-day during the week, but if you have the time please join us.   This kind of practice is really important for our SDFD.  Current or pending DSW required for this.  Go here to sign up:


NOTE: if you are signed up for this drill, and you did NOT get a note yesterday about the date change, contact your Team Leader immediately.

Notify Me Service—Now that Academy is over, time to bring up our Notify Me Service again.  When you talk up CERT to your friends and acquaintances, and you get some real interest,  REMEMBER to send them here:


Where they can sign up to be notified when registration opens.  Our last several Academies filled up well before first class, so if you know someone who really wants to do this, get them to sign up before the class fills.  It is a proven marketing axiom that people will take action when given an easy way to do so in a timely fashion.  I'll be blunt here, really glad to get new people from the last Academy, but it's not enough.  I want the next couple to open up about half full of people from our Battalion 5 Communities. For the record, those are:

Mira Mesa
Carmel Valley
La Jolla
University City
Sorrento Valley
Torrey Hills
Torrey Pines
Del Mar Mesa
Pacific Highlands Ranch

Of course, this shorts the other Battalions.  Please allow ME to feel bad about that, let it roll off you.  I promise I will.  Sure.

Occasional Rant—Time change, how about those smoke alarms?  Many of them take a 9-Volt battery, either as main power or backup, so get a small ladder and take a look.  You'll see the slide-out compartment on the thing.  Put on some ear protection, and TEST each one after you get the battery in. REPLACE anything that doesn't work right.  This goes for you also if you rent, don't trust the Landlord to do it, and make sure they replace any that don't work.  While I'm on the subject, the battery powered ones install easily, are cheap, and performance is impressive considering the price.  One in each bedroom is a really strong move.  In the Kitchen, not so much, unless you really don't cook or enjoy very loud noises.  These things are the cheapest insurance you will ever get.

That's all this week, questions, comments, talk to your Team Leader.

-Steve