Hello all, I thought you might be interested in the coverage we got from Fox News last night:
Thanks to all who attended, your commitment made the whole thing work.
-Steve
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Mira Mesa Team Newsletter 9/21/10
*****MIRA MESA*******
Telephone Tree—This will be ready to go early next week, sorry again for the delay, I've been busy with the 22 September training.
Training Hours Due—Actually they are due this time next week, consider this the first reminder. Red Cross training counts (please get a completion certificate), as do many other classes, but check with us/me first before you take something to ensure that it is approved.
10 October Meeting—I know I mentioned a repeat of the cribbing drill last week, but now I'm leaning toward doing an ICS simulation, we can all use the practice. This is a Sunday, and the last meeting under Daylight Saving, so let's plan on late afternoon, maybe 3:00-4:30?
Mira Mesa Street Fair—We did not get enough people signed up for this to staff our booth. Small wonder I guess, with all we had going on this week. If you'd like to give us a hand, please sign up at:
Otherwise we should give the booth up, other people want it. Weather Channel has 85 and sunny for the day, join us, catch some rays, and have a great excuse. I know I mentioned actual drills, if you don't want to do that, you don't have to, promise.
DSW Applications—I don't think I have any applications for Mira Mesa this time other than my own. If I'm wrong about that, please contact me immediately, we still have plenty of time to get it done.
******BATTALION 5 NEWS********
DSW Applications are due—We process a batch through the County OES every two months. If you are up for renewal or have a new application, and you have not submitted your qualifying documentation, contact your Team Leader.
22 September Continuing Education Search and Rescue Notice—Registration for this is closed, but if you didn't sign up and now wish you had, contact your Team Leader TODAY and ask them to pass it through to me, I might be able to get you in before we make the final assignments. We start tomorrow night at 5:30, please try to be early to check in, and do not park in the parking lot right next to the Haunt, AT&T is open and they need the spaces for Customers (Note: The AT&T Regional Service Center is there, if you are having troubles with your AT&T Cell Telephone, they are the guys to see. Go in the left door for Service, the right is Sales).
Academy 25 Support—Academy 25 is packed full, if you sent a friend or neighbor there, Thanks! We need help for Administration Thursday night 30 September and Saturday morning 2 October. This is volunteer hours only. If you thrive on a lot of positive energy, this is a good deal for you. NOTE signups for the Final Drill are also posted (I'll have more about that next week), be sure you get signed up for the right thing. Sign up on the web site:
Continuing Education, Regional CERT Exercise—Saturday, 9 October, 8am-3pm. At Stu Segal Studios, 4705 Ruffin Rd. San Diego. This is a regional exercise sponsored by the County. We're not sure what they have in mind, but I'm told that Stu Segal has an Iraqi village. Never know when we might have to search one of those. Either way, should be interesting, and it's a good opportunity to interact with some of the County CERT units. The County provides lunch. Sign up on the web site and download a copy of the flier:
NOTE-this is a County deal, so even if you sign up on our web site, you aren't in until the County notifies you. Move on this one if you are interested, they will probably fill up.
Occasional Rant—Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City quake. Over 10,000 lives lost in total. Many of us know that this disaster was the seed that spawned CERT, because we read about it on the Los Angeles CERT web site. In 1986, a group of investigators from LA traveled to Mexico City to study the quake and its effects. They found that, immediately after the quake, scores of people banded together and organized to form ad hoc rescue teams. These teams were highly effective because they began operations immediately after the event, well before organized professional rescue efforts. Over 800 people were saved by these volunteers. 100 of the volunteers were lost in the effort. The result was commendable, the attrition unacceptable. From the LA team's findings and other studies, it was concluded that organized and trained community-based teams of volunteer rescuers could be highly effective while avoiding situations that were unsafe for them, given their equipment and experience.
and here we are today.....
You will not of course note that I emphasized trained
How about you?
That's it for this week, questions, comments, see your Team Leaders.
-Steve
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mira Mesa Team Newsletter
*****TEAM MIRA MESA**********
Team Meeting—Just dawned on me this morning that October 10 {Oct 1st - TJW} is an Air Show weekend. I have not spent a lot of time on this because the Search CE next week has me pretty well involved. I'll get it put together before the end of the month. There has been some interest in running another rescue exercise similar to the 31 July drill. If you want to do this again, or missed last time and want to do it, let me know. Otherwise we might run an ICS exercise, it's been awhile since we did one of those.
Telephone Tree—This is complete, but we have had a volunteer drop out, so I could really use one more. We're talking about having to call probably six people and relaying exactly the same message, should take less than 10 minutes. We are going to test the tree first week of October one way or the other. I'm sure you all realize that this has the potential to be an unhappy fire season, so I really want to get this in place. Sorry for all of the delays. Once the tree works, I'll start working on an SMS system.
Mira Mesa Street Fair—I'll cover this in the Battalion news also, but I wanted to make a special pitch to the Mira Mesa team, it's in our backyard after all, and most of the potential candidates will be ours. What I want to do is have enough people to run some cribbing exercises. We'll have an easel sign up with some "What Are We Doing?" explanation, and at least one person in full gear handing out fliers. Next Academy is already full, and we don't have a firm date for the next yet, so we'll have a sign-up sheet for interested people. I'll call/email them personally when we have a firm Academy date and registration up on the site. I think there are two shifts for this, and it should be good for a team meeting. So, come help us out if you possibly can, we could use some more good people.
Haunted House CE—It's the last minute...no, really....OK, close then. You have until this Friday to sign up for this, yes it's during the week, but it's a chance to get some solid search/rescue training in, and a CE, close to where you live. You have until this Friday to register. I can still use a few more victims for this also, we aren't doing the full warpaint deal, so it shouldn't be that bad. If you know someone who wants to help, you can have them contact me directly.
*****BATTALION NEWS*********
Continuing Education, SEARCH AND RESCUE— Wednesday, 22 September 5:30—8:00pm. At the Mira Mesa Haunted House in Mira Mesa. We still have some slots open for this, but registration closes this Friday, yes, it's the last minute! We have three different search/rescue scenarios planned, and everyone will run all three scenarios, so there should be little boredom, but enough time to catch your breath. Our exercises are designed to engage an entire team (we like to think of ourselves as "cruel but fair"), and we'll be evaluated by our fantastic firefighter instructors. The Haunt will not be fully operational, but you will probably see a few things in there that you won't find in an average office/home. Don't miss this one. There is a map on the flier posted on the web site for those of you who have never been to Mira Mesa:
FULL Safety Gear required. If it doesn't work, now is the time for you to find that out and make adjustments.
September Joint Team Meeting, Safe Return Program— This is a joint Team Meeting, not a CE, so you can still go, but you need to let your team leader know, as material packets are being produced for the class. This is a joint team meeting with Battalion 2. Scheduled for 20 September, 6—8pm down at NTC. Firefighter/Paramedic Chuck DeLao will present the Safe Return program to us. Funded by the Federal Government and sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association in association with MedicAlert, this is a 24-hour emergency response service for Alzheimer's patients and others who may wander off and become lost. The program provides family notification services and coordinates the dissemination of vital information to first responders. In an emergency situation, CERT may be involved in the search for people who may have Alzheimer's. Mr. DeLao will provide details of the program and information that will help us work with victims who may have Alzheimer's. No sign-up on the web site for this, as it is a team meeting, but there is a meeting notice, go to:
Mira Mesa Street Fair—25 September 10am-4:30pm. On Camino Ruiz, just North of Mira Mesa Blvd. (they block the street). This is the big yearly street fair in Mira Mesa, we understand that there are over 100 exhibitors, and there is a waiting list. Great recruiting opportunity for all North County teams. Apparently the Marines will not put in an appearance this year, the event may be too close to the Air Show. So, no bomb-sniffing robots (hard enough to compete with children in cute costumes, you just can't top a bomb-sniffing robot). Shifts are available 10-1 and 1-4:30. BRING YOUR SAFETY GEAR. To attract a little attention, we'll haul out hateful Big Heavy Dummy, pile on some debris, and get him out of there with a bit of cribbing. You only have to wear your gear if you participate in the cribbing drill. So, You get a chance to get some sun, and a little practice in a critical skill, how can you beat that? Sign up on the web site:
Academy 25 Support—Yes, it's time to start another Academy, and as always we need help. This one is FULL (YES!), so it's a lot of people to manage. Additional help is needed for Administration Thursday night 30 September and Saturday morning 2 October. This is volunteer hours only. If you can spare a few cycles, we'd sure appreciate it. Sign up on the web site:
That's all for this week, questions, comments, see your team leader.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Mira Mesa Team Newsletter
*****MIRA MESA*******
Team Meeting— NO TEAM MEETING this Friday. Next month the tenth falls on a Sunday, if you missed the cribbing training we had last July and want to do it, or you did it in July and want to repeat, let me know. We can do the exercise again, but I need to plan for it.
****BATTALION 5 NEWS*******
New Feature on Web Site—The registration search now pulls up all classes you are signed up for, all classes where you are wait listed, and recent classes you took. To try it out, go to:
Click the registration search key (it's in the sentence right under the page headline) and type in the email address you use for registration. Note that this history CANNOT be used in place of your own record keeping, as it is only a record of the classes you registered for, and does not indicate whether or not you attended. If it helps you to remember a date, fine, but you are still responsible for reporting your hours every month to your Team Leader.
Academy 25—Applications are still being accepted for the Saturday class, which starts October 2 (Thursday is full). Recruit your friends and neighbors, and send them to:
for a schedule and application.
September Joint Team Meeting, Safe Return Program— If you are planning to go, please let your team leader know. This is a joint team meeting a joint team meeting with Battalion 2. Scheduled for 20 September, 6—8pm down at NTC. This is a TEAM MEETING, not a CE. Firefighter/Paramedic Chuck DeLao will present the Safe Return program to us. Funded by the Federal Government and sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association in association with MedicAlert, this is a 24-hour emergency response service for Alzheimer's patients and others who may wander off and become lost. The program provides family notification services and coordinates the dissemination of vital information to first responders. In an emergency situation, CERT may be involved in the search for people who may have Alzheimer's. Mr. DeLao will provide details of the program and information that will help us work with victims who may have Alzheimer's. No sign-up on the web site for this, as it is a team meeting, but there is a meeting notice, go to:
Continuing Education, SEARCH AND RESCUE— Wednesday, 22 September 5:30—8:00pm. We'll be running Search and Rescue exercises on the Mira Mesa Haunted House structure. The "Haunt" was constructed last weekend, and will be repainted next weekend. We'll have at least three different situations, and the plan is to have everyone who participates do all three. You can sign up for this now on the web site:
FULL Safety Gear required. If it doesn't work, now is the time for you to find that out and make adjustments.
That's all for this week, questions, comments, drop your Team Leader a note.
-Steve
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Scanners May Be Your Only Option To Know If Help Is On The Way
In CERT, we learn 'Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.' (www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about)
You call 911 and you are unable to get through. How do you know if help is arriving and how bad is the situation?
One option is to find your local emergency agency on a scanner. The following website provides live feeds from across the country.
You call 911 and you are unable to get through. How do you know if help is arriving and how bad is the situation?
One option is to find your local emergency agency on a scanner. The following website provides live feeds from across the country.
For additional tips, visit http://www.facebook.com/citizencorps
Editor's Note:
This website provides close to real-time radio messages for a variety of emergency responders (such as police and fire) and ham radio repeaters. Just find the feed you would like to hear and click on the speaker icon to find out what is going on. I compared this with my radios and found that they were only about 2 seconds behind the actual radio calls.
Terry Walters
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
CERT Mira Mesa/Battalion 5 News and Updates
********MIRA MESA NEWS*********
Training Hours—Today is the last day to turn your training hours in for the month.
Monthly Meeting—No monthly meeting for Mira Mesa this month. You are invited to join us for the joint meeting with Battalion 2, details below. This counts as a Team Meeting.
October Meeting—The Tenth falls on a Sunday in October. We might run the rescue drill we did in July again, that was very popular.
November Meeting—This is a Wednesday. Several requests for a review of Wound Care, that's where I am leaning with this one. Your comments for this and the October meeting are welcome.
Telephone Tree— I know, I know, still not done, and fire season coming down on us like a wave. Soon, I promise.
******BATTALION 5 NEWS***********
Academy 25—Thursday class is now full. Applications are still being accepted for the Saturday class, which starts October 2. Now is the time to think about who you would want on your team when disaster strikes, and perhaps take a moment from your day to speak to him/her about CERT. We are an all-volunteer organization, constantly changing as time passes, and we need more people to grow. We ALL want that class to start full, jammed to the walls, and we want those people to be new recruits for Battalion 5 (hey, the other Battalions can want that too). So put on your recruiting hats, and send everyone to:
for a schedule and application.
Continuing Education—Ready or Not Survival Seminar, Thursday 9 September, 11:30—1:30. At Qualcomm in Building Q, 6455 Lusk Blvd. Building Q is the former Design Center, corner of Lusk and Pacific Center. This course conducted by Tom Beasley and Susan Coniry, survivalists and authors of "Ready or Not, a Disaster Survival Handbook". It's a lot of fun, Mr. Beasley likes to set fire to things (don't worry, he knows what he's doing). Please Note: If you have taken this course for CE credit in the last 12 months, you cannot take it again for CE credit. Go to the web site to sign up:
September Joint Team Meeting, Safe Return Program— We would like to get a head count for this, if you are planning to go, please let your team leader know. This is a joint team meeting a joint team meeting with Battalion 2. Scheduled for 20 September, 6—8pm down at NTC. This is a TEAM MEETING, not a CE. Firefighter/Paramedic Chuck DeLao will present the Safe Return program to us. Funded by the Federal Government and sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association in association with MedicAlert, this is a 24-hour emergency response service for Alzheimer's patients and others who may wander off and become lost. The program provides family notification services and coordinates the dissemination of vital information to first responders. In an emergency situation, CERT may be involved in the search for people who may have Alzheimer's. Mr. DeLao will provide details of the program and information that will help us work with victims who may have Alzheimer's. No sign-up on the web site for this, as it is a team meeting, but there is a meeting notice.
Continuing Education, SEARCH AND RESCUE— Wednesday, 22 September 5:30—8:00pm. We'll be running Search and Rescue exercises on the Mira Mesa Haunted House structure. Many of you are probably familiar with the Mira Mesa Haunted House, now in its ninth year. The "Haunt" as they call it is a temporary free-standing building constructed entirely of plywood and stud lumber, about 4,000 feet altogether, located in the Target Shopping Center, corner of Mira Mesa Blvd. and Camino Ruiz. The shell of the structure will be constructed over the Labor Day Weekend this year. For the first several weeks after construction, most of the building is fairly empty while props are built and electrical/air is pulled in. The people running the Haunt have graciously allowed CERT to use the building for a search/rescue exercise. We'll have at least three different situations, and the plan is to have everyone who participates do all three. You can sign up for this now on the web site:
We're still working on getting a flier posted, should be this week.
If you want to show the Haunt how much we appreciate this, and you don't mind lifting, carrying and construction, make plans to join us on 4 September at about 9am for the start of construction. I'll be out there myself for most of the day. Full safety gear is not required, but gloves are a really good idea, so are goggles, and of course WATER. The Haunt Committee needs to empty out two semi-trailers (yes, it's a big deal) and get most of the shell constructed. They do much of this work with high-school age volunteers putting in Community Service hours. There are NEVER enough responsible adults, and if you have a cordless drill and know how to use it, you are golden, they put this together with a few thousand drywall screws. Again, let your Team Leader know that you want to do this, I will send you more details.
Last, if you want to know more about the Haunted House, maybe even buy a ticket or two (it's really something, believe me), visit their web site:
That's all for this week, questions, comments, talk with your Team Leader.
-Steve
Friday, August 27, 2010
LAFD’s Brian Humphrey, Emergency 2.0 Pioneer, Urges Responder Agencies In Video “To Get In The [Social Media] Pool” — “If It Works In LA, It Can Work In Your Town Too”
LAFD’s Brian Humphrey, Emergency 2.0 Pioneer, Urges Responder Agencies In Video “To Get In The [Social Media] Pool” — “If It Works In LA, It Can Work In Your Town Too”: "
"
A major highlight of the Red Cross Emergency Data Summit earlier this month for me was meeting in person someone I have known — and have learned from — remotely for the last several years, Brian Humphrey from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Brian has been a pioneer in the use of personal technology by government emergency officials to inform and engage the public.
Brian and his fellow LAFD public information officers manage an unparalleled social media operation in the government emergency field, including a blog about to hit three million visits and a Flickr site with seven million views. The Department recently split its Twitter account in two: @LAFD, which is reserved for fire and accident reports, and @LAFDTalk, which people can use to ask questions about fire extinguishers or whatever else fire-related is on their minds. Brian gave a terrific presentation at the Red Cross event about his work that can be found on C-SPAN’s website.
In the two-and-a-half minute video below, I asked Humphrey what he would tell other emergency responder agencies, which have not yet embraced social media in their work, ”I encourage agencies and people to jump in the water. That doesn’t mean enter head first. But get in the pool.” He urges a patient approach in which officials listen, absorb information initially. But he points out social media is a “force multiplier” for emergency agencies in distributing and gathering information. And he notes: “If it works in Los Angeles, it can work in your town too.”
Humphrey cites an example of social media’s usefulness in the wake of the stampede at Germany’s Love Parade at which 18 people died. He says that in similar types of events, LAFD uses social media to monitor the situation before it gets out of hand. He also urges the public to sign up for their local government text/email alerts, which offer an opportunity to get emergency information even before its delivered by the traditional media.
LAFD Public Information Officer Brian Humphrey discusses the use of social media and personal technology in the emergency services.
"
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Job Opening That’s ‘Ready’ To Be Filled Immediately: Elected Official Needed To Take Lead On Citizen Preparedness
A Job Opening That’s ‘Ready’ To Be Filled Immediately: Elected Official Needed To Take Lead On Citizen Preparedness: "
"
During the time that I have covered the topic of citizen emergency preparedness, one of the most surprising things I’ve found is that there is no major elected official who has taken the lead on the issue.
It’s surprising for a number of reasons: natural disasters and terrorism dominate the headlines and will continue to for the foreseeable future; citizen preparedness is pretty much unassailable, bipartisan, patriotic and community-building topic; and even the smallest interest in Washington has at least one political champion (but not public preparedness). And, with much to do, there is a great opportunity to have a positive policy and political impact.
Yet, there is no elected official who has taken the lead on the issue which is one of the reasons why the nation still has not made appropriate progress on it. Citizen preparedness requires some political leader who will make sure it is not ignored in the legislative process as it has been to date. In fact, I would argue the lack of political leadership is one reason why citizen preparedness has not received requisite attention from the government, the media and the public.
So, is there any elected official is interested in the job? Or, do readers have any ideas of who should do it?
"
Friday, August 20, 2010
Fugate Says FEMA Is Reevaluating Future Of CERT: Significant Changes Possible, Including Offering Mini-Course To More Americans, Significantly Expanding Youth Training
Fugate Says FEMA Is Reevaluating Future Of CERT: Significant Changes Possible, Including Offering Mini-Course To More Americans, Significantly Expanding Youth Training: "
In response to a question from the audience at the Red Cross Emergency Social Data Summit last week, Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate mentioned that the agency is doing some serious rethinking about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program as it approaches its 25th Anniversary.
The questioner urged Fugate to move CERT from the Department of Homeland Security to FEMA’s jurisdiction. Fugate was able to answer, with smile, “Done,” noting that he now oversees the program which trains citizen teams to assist during emergencies. That answer was easy. However, Fugate knows that determining and then making the necessary changes in CERT to make it most useful for FEMA, local authorities, the citizen volunteers and the nation will not be as simple.
Fugate said that FEMA is considering major changes in the program, including creating a shorter training course which could be offered to more Americans and significantly expanding CERT training for schools and other youth groups in order to better imbed preparedness into society for the long-term.
The CERT program faces a good news/bad news situation, according to Fugate. There are just not enough emergencies in which the civilian teams can take part in. Without activity, it is difficult to keep the citizen volunteers energized, interested and trained.
“Here’s the problem,” he explained, “People say I’ve taken all this training and there are no disasters. Well that’s good thing.” Maybe for the nation as a whole but not for the strength of the CERT program. (The C-SPAN video of Fugate’s speech is here.)
FEMA and local emergency management officials have to answer, in Fugate’s words, “a perennial question we run into: after CERT training, what’s next?”
And more importantly what’s next for the CERT program as a whole?
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate talks about the CERT program at the Red Cross’ Emergency Social Data Summit on Thursday.
As Fugate correctly diagnoses, there is need for some changes in the program. Right now, in most places there is just not enough work for CERT’s to do. It is a theme that I also hear from members around the nation who contact me through the blog, and I see from my own experience as a CERT here in New York City.
But while CERT teams are not getting enough business, Fugate is bullish about a larger market for preparedness training among the general public.
“We’re looking if there are ways we can take the CERT training and break it up. A lot of [business and social] groups have approached us and said we think this is really great but attention span of our audience won’t get you there. [At present, the CERT training is 20 hours, usually taught over 10 weeks.] But if you could give us 2-4 hours and we could give you our group what could you put together for us in that time that would empower and train people not necessary not to the level of CERT.”
From my experience both serving and reporting on CERT, the idea of spreading its resources out more broadly through the community for adults and kids makes a lot of sense.
One question is how the government should organize this new horizontal model of citizen preparedness training. What should stay under CERT? Should these new ideas (shorter training for adults, kids) be put in another high profile civilian volunteer preparedness or resilience program?
I’ve always felt that CERT training is less about the skills you learn and more about awareness about the community and the various emergency authorities (and identifying citizen crisis organizers in advance). To me, CERT is just basic citizenship training for the 21st Century, which I think every American should get a chance to receive. I might suggest that the smaller reduced curriculum be called something along the lines of “Citizen Resilience Training”.
The overarching philosophy of CERT is terrific: take advantage of citizen’s desire to want to help in crises and their ability to be useful. I believe that interest is even more robust since 9/11, Katrina and with other threats on the horizon. (The rapid growth of the CrisisCommons citizen technology initiative over the past year is just one example of how much public interest there is to assist in emergency situations.)
An extensive survey done by the Citizen Corps (which oversees the CERT program) found that almost two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they would be willing to take a 20-hour training class to assist their community recover from disasters. The 64% figure was striking to me, because it points out an interest of many Americans to become more knowledgeable in emergency preparedness/response. That’s not to say that two-thirds of the population want to join the CERT program, but it does seem to indicate that a lot of Americans would be amenable to some sort of disaster education/training — particularly it was held in their workplace, house of worship, social club, etc.
Now, there are some communities around the U.S. where CERT teams are more fully engaged with activities than others. When I asked readers last month for their thoughts on CERT, Paul Garth from an Ojai, California team said it was up to the members themselves to go out and find things to do, which his group had. To some extent, Garth is right that CERTs themselves should try to develop ideas, but it can also be difficult because they are usually dependent on government emergency officials.
One question is whether the expectations for CERT service be more clearly delineated. There are no ‘cuts’ for anyone who passes the training, and then there are some members who go to every meeting and assignment and others who never show up. It can be difficult to keep a cohesive, engaged group going when some of the team — particularly when it involves sensitive emergency activities — are not fully committed.
It might make sense to have a better-trained CERT civilian group along the lines of another Citizen Corps program, Medical Reserve Corps, which is comprised of volunteer medical personnel. That might make government officials more comfortable in integrating CERT volunteers into its activities like a police auxiliary.
Fugate’s idea of broadening CERT-type training may be most useful when it comes to a younger generation. He believes that if the nation really wants to change social behavior on preparedness it needs to do so with the younger generation — who are not only more impressible than adults but are more likely to influence their parents and will also have a more long-term influence.
It would also be an opportunity to include preparedness into the curriculum in the schools where Fugate believes a culture of preparedness has the best chance of becoming imbedded. One useful historical model is the commitment to school-based fire education after the 1974 publication of the national “America Burning” report. In some cases, youth preparedness/CERT training can piggy back on these existing classroom programs.
Fugate mentioned that there are some excellent CERT programs for young people in parts of the nation. I recently wrote about interesting youth initiatives sponsored by READYColorado and the Colorado Division of Emergency Management, including the creation of a teenage ‘Social Media Response Team’ to help the authorities and the public during disasters. Eastern Michigan University has also taken leadership in developing Teen CERT programs in a number of states
I believe that a decision to expand CERT-type training in the schools would be welcomed on a bipartisan basis. In an interview I did with former Bush Administration Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff last year he agreed that a key to creating a long-term prepared nation is to focus on schools and kids. In the discussion, he sketched out two suggestions – a “minimum” and a “maximum” approach. The “minimum” would be “to get the fire management and emergency management people to come together to create a program to be exported to the schools on basic preparation.”
Chertoff’s “maximum” option is that there be a more substantive course developed for U.S. schools on planning and preparation, which would include teaching “basic skills”. It would almost serve as a very limited albeit useful national basic training.
“If you’re not going to have a national service then as part of graduation from high school there should be a course over a period of time that teaches you the kind of basic things you might need in an emergency,” Chertoff says, adding “It’s going to do two things. It’s going to create a cadre of more capable people, but it is also going to demystify the process of preparation. Most people are intimidated that they don’t know how to do it. They’re afraid of being embarrassed.”
As FEMA officials examine what to do with CERT going forward, I imagine they will be undertaking an analysis of the future need and demand. Though it is a very well-intentioned idea — and I have really enjoyed and learned from my CERT work — there may well be that there a limit to what moderately trained part-time volunteers can really do in the official emergency services world. Maybe the bulk of CERT volunteers who are willing to commit just to the basic training and limited participation would be better to be transferred to the disaster services unit of Red Cross chapters from around the U.S.. which is busier with fires and local emergencies.
I recommend that FEMA should also reach out to some CERT team leaders/members in communities around the U.S. as government officials do not always know what is going on within the CERT teams (as this blog post from state emergency management official Mark Chubb underscores).
To me, civilian CERT members can best serve the community by being, in Fugate’s words, preparedness “ambassadors” providing information and guidance to their neighbors. When it comes to citizen preparedness, there is a real need for explanation and modeling, and CERT members can be hugely helpful in part as emergency management offices don’t always have the time always the inclination to do so. Further, the growth of social media platforms underscore the value of friend-to-friend, peer-to-peer education both before and during emergencies.
I received a thoughtful e-mail last year from the State of Florida’s former CERT coordinator Bill Firestone who served under Fugate in which he elaborates on the value of the “ambassador” role.
While it’s very unlikely that most CERTers will participate in a mass casualty triage or perform in pairs in fire suppression, CERTers will talk to their neighbor, participate in their children’s schools, attend neighborhood activities. Consequently, they can reach out to people that government and non-profit preparedness messages cannot reach or it is too expensive.
In my role as a “CERTer”, here in Florida, I am reaching out to neighbors and talking to them about the network of non-profits in disaster and the importance of knowing what services and assistance they can provide before and after disaster. Here in hurricane-prone Florida I have begun to send along the url for information about the importance of completing an SBA loan application and how that is tied to receiving additional disaster assistance. Most of my neighbors that have incurred damages to their house have been told about the low-interest loans following disaster, but not aware of the other benefits to completing the application.
If you have any thoughts on FEMA’s reevaluation of CERT, I’d love to hear them.
Handing out preparedness information at a Manhattan street fair with my own youth CERT in training.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Follow/Participate In Thursday’s American Red Cross “Emergency Crisis Data Summit” On Web
Follow/Participate In Thursday’s American Red Cross “Emergency Crisis Data Summit” On Web: "
"
The American Red Cross is holding a very exciting event in Washington on Thursday and is encouraging interested members of the public from around the U.S. and the world to follow it and participate through the web.
It is the organization’s first “Emergency Crisis Data Summit: Answering The Cry For Help” which will bring together government agencies, emergency management professionals, disaster response organizations and tech companies to discuss how best to harness the communications power of new media to prepare and respond to crises.
The day-long event — whose agenda is here –will be open and broadcast on the internet (more information about the Summit can be found here). You can keep track and take part in the conference using several social media properties:
* It will be ustreamed live via the NextGenWeb site. Register on Eventbrite for ustream details. The archived U-Stream will be available online, too, and on the Emergency Social Data blog. C-SPAN will also be providing coverage of the event.
* You can participate in the Twitter discussion at the hashtag #crisisdata as well as add to or comment on the Summit’s aggregated information via the Emergency Social Data Wiki. There will be a formal Twitter chat at 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT featuring questions from @ntenhross and @ikepigott.
* In person attendees will update their observations and impressions via the Whrrl Emergency Social Data Society .
I will be attending the Summit and will be writing it up on the blog.
The Red Cross will be publishing a White Paper “The Case For Integrating Crisis Response With Social Media,” based on the Summit’s discussions (The early chapters have already been posted in advance on the Social Data blog to help frame the event’s agenda — I recommend taking a look at them as they provide a good overview/history of the subject.)
American Red Cross’ Social Media Director Wendy Harman doing a walkthrough at the Hall of Service in Washington where the Emergency Crisis Data Summit will take place Thursday.
"
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
How long to survey your Neighborhood?
The Mira Mesa CERT members got together on February 10th for a neighborhood survey by car drill. The goal was to determine how large of a residential section of Mira Mesa could be surveyed within thirty minutes using an automobile. The things we would want to identify during this type of search are which buildings are damaged and to what level, where are there road hazards or blockages, how will out of area responders (such as SDFD) get to various areas of Mira Mesa, and where would our CERT members best be used in the interim. The thirty-minute time limit assumed that the team did not have radios and needed to perform a physical check in with the Team Leader to update status and confirm that the team had not run into trouble.
The scenario we used was an major earthquake had struck on a weekday evening which meant that we would concentrate on residences rather than businesses. Since we had four people, we all got into my van after discussing the general search plan and discussing team member roles. Those roles included Driver, Navigator/Scribe, and Left and Right Spotters. We also discussed using three people (driver and two spotters) as an alternative to a four-person team. To give us a way to identify what level of “damage” the houses had, we used the number of cars (or other vehicles) in the driveway: one car – no immediately visible damage, two cars – minor damage, three or more cars – major damage. Cars on the street did not count and houses with no cars were considered unknown status. We got started about 6:30pm.
It was an eye-opening experience. The first challenge was apartments – there was no way to get an accurate assessment in a short period of time. Driving and Navigation quickly became a full-time jobs as we tried to wind our way through residential streets and cul-de-sacs. The pot holes from our recent rains did create real (although very minor) hazards and the Navigator had to find a route which minimized backtracking and loss of time. Our spotters did a great job identifying and categorizing houses for “damage” but we found that 15 miles per hour was the fastest we could go and still get a good count. By the time we hit our 30-minute “check-in time” limit, we had covered about half of the area I had expected to cover and that was without any route-stopping roadblocks or “victims” on the street to slow us down. According to my maps, we covered a 1/4 square mile area (about ½ mile on each side).
Lessons learned:
1) A four-person team is required to do this kind of survey. There is too much to do for any fewer people without major delays to the search.
2) The Navigator likely cannot be the Scribe due to overloading. Each Spotter would have to keep records of their damage assessments with the Navigator calling out street names so the Spotter can add them to add to their notes.
3) A radio with enough range for the survey area would allow the teams to extend their search time, allow immediate status updates and call for additional team members if the situation warrants it. Either the Driver or Navigator should be able to handle the radio duties without overloading.
4) A handheld GPS unit might be used to mark locations by dropping way points on its map grid and incorporating them in the Spotter’s notes.
5) An initial survey for major roadway access is key to all other responders arriving on-scene. This can be accomplished both by the “intelligence” gathered from team members as they check in with the Logistics people and reporting what they saw on the way to the rally point (both roadway access and building damage) and by actual survey of routes that remained in an unknown status.
6) Communities laid out in a grid-type street pattern could probably searched more quickly than the area we selected. However, if you want a quick assessment of damage, you will have to have a large number of survey teams conducting surveys simultaneously in multiple areas of the community.
The scenario we used was an major earthquake had struck on a weekday evening which meant that we would concentrate on residences rather than businesses. Since we had four people, we all got into my van after discussing the general search plan and discussing team member roles. Those roles included Driver, Navigator/Scribe, and Left and Right Spotters. We also discussed using three people (driver and two spotters) as an alternative to a four-person team. To give us a way to identify what level of “damage” the houses had, we used the number of cars (or other vehicles) in the driveway: one car – no immediately visible damage, two cars – minor damage, three or more cars – major damage. Cars on the street did not count and houses with no cars were considered unknown status. We got started about 6:30pm.
It was an eye-opening experience. The first challenge was apartments – there was no way to get an accurate assessment in a short period of time. Driving and Navigation quickly became a full-time jobs as we tried to wind our way through residential streets and cul-de-sacs. The pot holes from our recent rains did create real (although very minor) hazards and the Navigator had to find a route which minimized backtracking and loss of time. Our spotters did a great job identifying and categorizing houses for “damage” but we found that 15 miles per hour was the fastest we could go and still get a good count. By the time we hit our 30-minute “check-in time” limit, we had covered about half of the area I had expected to cover and that was without any route-stopping roadblocks or “victims” on the street to slow us down. According to my maps, we covered a 1/4 square mile area (about ½ mile on each side).
Lessons learned:
1) A four-person team is required to do this kind of survey. There is too much to do for any fewer people without major delays to the search.
2) The Navigator likely cannot be the Scribe due to overloading. Each Spotter would have to keep records of their damage assessments with the Navigator calling out street names so the Spotter can add them to add to their notes.
3) A radio with enough range for the survey area would allow the teams to extend their search time, allow immediate status updates and call for additional team members if the situation warrants it. Either the Driver or Navigator should be able to handle the radio duties without overloading.
4) A handheld GPS unit might be used to mark locations by dropping way points on its map grid and incorporating them in the Spotter’s notes.
5) An initial survey for major roadway access is key to all other responders arriving on-scene. This can be accomplished both by the “intelligence” gathered from team members as they check in with the Logistics people and reporting what they saw on the way to the rally point (both roadway access and building damage) and by actual survey of routes that remained in an unknown status.
6) Communities laid out in a grid-type street pattern could probably searched more quickly than the area we selected. However, if you want a quick assessment of damage, you will have to have a large number of survey teams conducting surveys simultaneously in multiple areas of the community.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Ham Radios in Haiti
Here is a CNN story regarding the role of ham radios during an emergency. Remember ham radios can be supplemented with the shorter-ranged FRS radios that anyone can use. BTW, ignore the "low-tech" comments from a reporter who probably thinks if it doesn't have a touch screen, it must be "low-tech" - LOL.
CNN - Ham Radios in Haiti
CNN - Ham Radios in Haiti
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Disney Offers Free Ticket If You Volunteer
There are several things in Mira Mesa and surrounding neighborhoods which you can do to get a free Disneyland ticket.
-------------------------------
If you are a Citizen Corps volunteer, you will probably find the humor in this 'Give a Day. Get a Disney Day' commercial.
Locally, there are many organizations participating in this program, including Volunteer Fairfax.
For additional information on the program, please visit the official Disney website.
Disney Parks not for you? Well, check this out and donate your ticket:
'We want to celebrate your good works in the community by giving you a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to the Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort. After we receive verification that you've completed your service, we'll send you an email with a voucher redeemable for a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket for you to use, or you may donate it to a designated charitable organization'
What a great way to give back to the community... twice!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
To all of my friends in Mira Mesa CERT, I'd like to wish the best for you and your families!
Have a safe and fun holiday!
Terry Walters
Mira Mesa CERT
Have a safe and fun holiday!
Terry Walters
Mira Mesa CERT
Some Winter Safety Tips from USFA
Some Winter Safety Tips from USFA: "Some Winter Safety Tips from USFA: 'This is from the Family Preparedness Newsletter:
Winter is an especially dangerous time for home fires, as space heaters, holiday lights and candles get more use - it is no surprise that fires in the home are more common between December and February. The U.S. Fire Administration is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and their Web site has a wealth of information to help make this holiday season both warm and safe:
Fire Safety Tips: [ http://www.firesafety.gov/citizens/firesafety/index.shtm ]
Resources:
Cathleen
'
"
Winter is an especially dangerous time for home fires, as space heaters, holiday lights and candles get more use - it is no surprise that fires in the home are more common between December and February. The U.S. Fire Administration is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and their Web site has a wealth of information to help make this holiday season both warm and safe:
Fire Safety Tips: [ http://www.firesafety.gov/citizens/firesafety/index.shtm ]
- Never underestimate your children's curiosity about fire [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/matches/ ]. Strongly discourage casual contact with matches and lighters.
- Have smoke detector [ http://www.firesafety.gov/citizens/alarms/index.shtm ] on every floor of your home, and test them every month.
- Sadly, two-thirds of home fires that kill children under age 5 occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/alarms/ ]
- Devise a home fire escape plan [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/escape/ ] and practice it with your family.
- Change your smoke detector batteries when you change your clocks.
- Learn about residential sprinkler systems [ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_citizens/home_fire_prev/sprinklers/ ].
- When traveling, search this database for Hotel/Motel Fire-Safe List. [ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/hotel/ ]
Resources:
- The U.S. Fire Administration provides informative resources [ https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ ] in many formats, including books, pamphlets and DVD's, *free of charge**.*
- Click here [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/materials/ ] for a fact sheet on fire safety for babies and toddlers in multiple languages.
- Click here [ http://www.firesafety.gov/kids/index.shtm ] for kid-friendly projects and information about children and fire safety.
Cathleen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
