Our immediate goal is to assess the size and needs of our CERT 'community', and establish some initial goals. Perhaps these will do for a start:
1) Share class photos: Fairfax County CERT-27 & 28, and perhaps some others who completed our CERT training 2007 June 9, and even more who participated in the exercise, will have a bunch of photos to share.
2) There are certainly other sites or communities who are addressing the same issues. As you learn of them, please post.
3) Let's make the connection between the county/state and personal emergency plans. The County has a number of disaster plans. We will be building our personal and family and neighborhood disaster plans, scaling up to fit with the larger plans, and allowing all individuals to participate as fully as possible using the resources each person has at their command.
1) I don't know if you are able to post photos directly to this blog. If so, good. If not, you might post them elsewhere ( like Kodak or My Space), and just post a link here.3) Some county disaster plan documents require some publication control because they address susceptible sites or resources. I'm told you might need to show ID and sign for copies, but they are still public. Electronic copies may be free, but printed copies might have a small duplicating cost.
40 comments:
I hope to get some good ideas from the Natl. Conference on Community Preparedness (NCCP) in Alexandria this week. See www.iaem.com/nccc2007.htm for more info.
JBirch
I recommend that students in CERT 27/28 look to form local CERT teams in their community (Reston CERT comes to mind). A focus of this blog should be on improving our local communities and forming local teams for areas that do not have them, then sharing our stories, pictures, experiences. Thank you for passing on the information about that Emergency Managers conference. I will see if I can stop by, might be difficult with work, is it open to only Emergency Managers and staff?
Lots of great photos from Mike Forgy are at http://public.fotki.com/Squirrel-Nutkin/cert-/
and even more from Cathleen are at http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcMWbRw5bs2OA
The formation of community teams of trained members is great, but many of us are the only CERT member in our respective communities, and our new training & perspectives will be crucial to the development of our Community's Emergency Plans. As missionaries in the wilderness, I hope we can use this page to share our insights, efforts & solutions.
. As far as '3)' county EP documents, as I said, they are all public, but some are 'monitored distribution'. Presumably you take only what you need, and some of them gave me new insight to the risks & resources in my own community, needed for our Community Emergency Plan.
. Andrew Levy and I will post more about the recent National Conference for Community Preparedness (NCCP) as soon as I catch my breath.
JBirch
070622: You might have Licensed operators in your community that could be part of your Community Emergency Plans. Join us in the park, and learn more about emergency communications.
===Ham Radio Enthusiasts To Showcase Technology===
Members of the Vienna Wireless Society will demonstrate ham radio emergency capabilities during Field Day from 2 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday at Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Rd., Fairfax Station. (just inside the park, next to the golf course)
Participants will set up tents and radio gear for AM, FM, sideband, digital and Morse code communications, using only emergency power supplies. In addition, licensed hams at a "Get on the Air" station will help spectators make a contact.
Visitors will have the opportunity to make their own 'live / on the air' 'amateur' radio contact.
The annual nationwide event will allow participants to score points by making national and international contacts. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year's event.
For more information, call Gary Nelson at 703-416-3229 or Peter Norloff at 703-938-4343 or visit http://www.viennawireless.org.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062=
000825_pf.html
(JBirch@erols.com)
Allen Levy posted his presentation for everyone to see and comment on.
http://www.iaem.com/NCCP2007Presentations.htm
Remember to stay a safe distance from the fireworks. A firetruck should be on scene in the event of a fire or personal injury. With the huricane warning there might be strong winds. This could cause the fireworks to go where we did not expect. It is best to not do them at home because of the weather warning. Do not store fireworks inside your house.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those injured in Vienna and in DC. Was anyone from our CERT on scene?
Is the guy in the yellow shirt and blue cap Steve the CERT instructor?
http://www.nbc4.com/slideshow/news/13624981/detail.html
yes, that is Steve.
We should start a petition to make him the grand marshall of the Vienna Days next year. He touches the lives of many in our community. He truley deserves to be recognized. If you agree post your support on this website.
It is Steve? He is not wearing his PPE and there is visible blood.
Do you know if Vienna CERT exists, or should Fairfax CERT cover that territory? Until I hear differently that is Fairfax CERT. We need to cover this event next year. Will someone volunteer to headup the fireworks events team
I know there are several CERT members in Vienna, but not who they are (Derek might). Do you know what, if anything, CERT has done in the past for that event? The local amateur radio club, VWS, has several members who provide Vienna with emergency communications (Ops & Log) support for the VPD for such events. If you if we cannot find out thru CERT, I could ask, and we might use VWS as a model, or possibly partner with them, since we don't get radios.
John Birch - CERT Community Web-site http://cert27.blogspot.com
- 703.533.3668
We can just buy cheap radios at Walmart, Radio Shack or maybe the Costco has it. We do not need those fancy radios to talk to people in California or China. I do not think CERT does fireworks because of the danger involved. What is VWS? If they amateur then that is not the right group for us because we are trained.
Did everyone see this article??
http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=18569306&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506096&rfi=6
A CERT public service operation would not be inherently dangerous. We would not be handling the fireworks.
You might be right about the cheap radios, if our operations are constrained to a few hundred yards.
As I said, the VWS is a local radio club, and composed of experienced & federally licensed communications operators who generally have much more training and situational experience than our inexperienced CERT members (uncertified in any way). ('Amateur' refers to the non-commercial use of their radio frequencies.)
CERT participation could be primarily a matter of providing logistics and crowd/traffic (directions, information, and other assistance) support as requested by the local authorities, and, of course, emergency response if needed.
Our purpose would be to learn from working with the experienced public service providers (PD, FD, VWS, & other served agencies) to develop & maintain our own skills in logistics, communications, situational awareness, etc. and develop our familiarity with public service operations. All of which will be essential in a community emergency response, and few of which have been practiced in our brief and informal CERT training.
Not to mention, it can be a fun way to get involved with the community and more actively participate in the event.
John Birch - CERT Community Web - 533.3668
I could not get the previous timescommunity link to work, but found 2 possible targets at
http://www.timescommunity.com/site/news.asp?brd=2553
Fairfax County:
"Fire officials stay busy monitoring fireworks displays" about the danger of fireworks.
&
"Firefighters save one of their own" showing the value of CPR & situational awareness.
Look at this where I found the picture of Steve. http://www.nbc4.com/news/13662119/detail.html?dl=headlineclick
We should see if CERT is testifying as a way to keep the people of DC safe. Do we have a CERT mutualaide agreement?
I also want to say that calling CERT inexperienced compared to radio hobbiests is not fair.
Did you see this article http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3739188&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
How many people are needing a re-fresher course? If there are not any CERT classes this summer we can have one soon.
Re: Mutual Aid Agreement?
I don't recall mention of CERT MAAs in my CERT training nor since, but an MAA might reasonably be started informally, and based on the existing F&RD agreements, which are exercised on a regular basis by the stations near our county boundaries. So, we could each look for some occasional opportunities to work with our neighboring jurisdictions's CERT members (as we find them), in addition to within Fairfax. Public Service Events & Disaster Exercises seem the most obvious and convenient place to start. Loudon & Fairfax MRC (Medical Response Corps) have at least an informal arrangement, and perhaps we can expand on that as well, and we could explore the possibility of VIPS or others having them. CERT members are unusual under CCC, in that we are expected to be able to respond independently, and even develop our own Community Disaster Plan, and every community has neighbors.
We already have several 'city' teams. If I remember, Herndon, Fairfax City, Falls Church, and perhaps Arlington for a start, since I think all have been represented at the FC Fire Academy.
It would help us to hear from their leadership, since they should have a broader view of the situation. If not, the Citizen Corps Council (in a few weeks) might provide an opportunity to explore these issues.
More ideas?
John Birch 533.3668 -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va
Re: "Experience"
I do want to be fair. I believe the next CERT course is scheduled for Sep.9. I know (my problem?) of only a few hundred man(sic)-hours of field activity (the BSA Camporee, etc.) performed by Fairfax CERT this year, and I know the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and various radio clubs in the region put in thousands of hours each year in support of PSEs like parades, marathons, fairs, and disaster response, not to mention regular daily & weekly Traffic Networks and Em. Communications exercises & contests of their own. Perhaps we should try to build a more complete collection of CERT activities, both historical and planned. The more we know of, the more we can participate.
Perhaps we could post both on the main page?
John Birch 533.3668 -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va
What does the Citizen Corps have to do with CERT? Why do they treat us differnt from MRC. I thought they are the group that gets volunteers for times like the floods and whatnot. If they are that group then I think CERT did volunteer with them. I do not think that CERT people put in hundreds of hours each. They would need to quite the day jobs. And CERT does not pay (well).
A compliment to CERT volunteers:
Today's volunteer, Paid-Call Volunteer, Volunteer In Prevention, or CERT -- man or woman, is truly a unique individual. The have a no-nonsense view of right and wrong. They come from all walks of life. They may be a student, your neighbor, retired, banker, nurse, grocer, carpenter, teacher, secretary, bus driver or a whole host of others. They stand ready to protect the people they serve from the ravages of fire, violent storms, environmental hazards, and loss of life from medical emergencies. Gone are the days when an emergency responder was just a smoke-eater. The emergency responder of today is generally well-educated, receives regular training, and attends seminars to keep current on changing technologies. The job is based on providing emergency medical care, fire suppression and prevention, and public information and education -- responsibilities that would surprise many in the community.
http://www.osgov.com/fire/volunteer.html
You are right we will not be moving the fireworks unless they hit the crowd and we will need to extinguish them. If we do get hurt, would Vienna or Fairfax County insurance cover us? We cannot be out of work because of our volunteer things we do because we would not be paid if we are hurt and have no insurance outside of work.
You signed a release and are not insured. Surprise. They would cover you if you are volunteer firefighter or police. We would be put into action for a very serious situation and we should be insured. But NOT not Not.
re.: What does the Citizen Corps have to do with CERT?
You might find it helpful to see the Citizen Corps site, that gives a rough description of some of our sister volunteer organizations.
Each organization is different, has different mission, goals, training, etc.
MRC allows licensed medical volunteers to respond to Public Health events.
CERT trains (extra-)ordinary citizens to develop community disaster response (plans etc) and to respond immediately, and coordinate/facilitate community response when professional emergency response is delayed.
If you've taken CERT basic, that's ~50 hrs already, but you're right, we have a lot to do.
.__________________.
Re.: insured. Surprise. There is considerable discussion on-line. As with all things legal, 'It always depends on the situation, and your situation.'
Health insurance is usually something you would rather not use (except for education & prevention). There are varying degrees of coverage provided by the several agencies that might have us in their service, but you are the captain of your soul (and body). Doing good takes careful courage.
.__________________. I'm a vol., like most visiting this site, so I type my name as a courtesy, at the end of my comments. "Anonymous" saves blogger hassle.
John Birch 533.3668 -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va
But MRC tells people you do not need to be trained in medical and that is just a misunderstanding. Even CERT can be part of MRC.
I did not think that CERT was ~50 unless you took two classes. To have that many you must have took the course again.
I will signup for blogger account to make it easy to post next time.
Re. "A compliment"
www.osgov.com/fire/volunteer.html {The City of Ocean Shores has some non-standard definitions, but I agree with the sentiment.}
Re. "But MRC"
I was referring to the MRC purpose. You're right MRC does need the help of unlicensed volunteers. They offer an orientation every couple of weeks, at www.fairfaxmrc.org
The cert class time was 30 hours or so; I included a minimal class prep time to come up with 50 hrs, but the FA faculty do need our support, and there is a new course starting in Sept. and there is a lot to forget, and a lot more to learn.
John Birch 533.3668 -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va
Can you explain purpose of this blog? Is it only for Mason District or is that just the district you represent? Some things could be for people in other parts of Fairfax County.
Now it makes sense when I do an internet search I see you represent the Citizen Council and are the top person in the list. Congratulations.
Can you let others know how they can get invovled with it? The website only looks for volnteers not leaders. This is the one I found it. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bacs/fairfax_board.asp?lookup=7011051
Re: "Citizen (Corps) Council"
Thank you, but my placement is apparently alphabetical, and probably temporary. Andrew Levy is our chair, but there is always a scarcity of folk willing and able to do what needs doing. The meetings are open, and there is a great need for support and guidance in many projects.
Although the county districts provide representatives to the CCC, the site is outside the FxCo domain, at
Fx Co Cit Corps Council
, but the county is the main conduit for grant applications & funding.
John Birch - CERT Community Web-site
- 703.533.3668
. see also Fx Co. CERT site by HLP Asso.Inc.
We seem to be getting about 15 to 30 visits per week. Most are browsing out thru links, and that is good, but not so many are sharing.
I'd drop the project, if I thought fairfaxcountycert would take up the baton for community Em.Prep. and mutual aid projects, as the members develop their interests. I'm looking forward to what Derek will do with the GIS project as well.
John Birch -CERT -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va - CERT Community blog-site - 703.533.3668
. see also Fx Co. CERT blog-site by HLP Asso.Inc.
It looks like on 06 July Cathleen put a comment on this blogspot. And that is aroudn when she started the blogspot for Dereks company hlp. I wonder if the Derek and the volunteer instructors like Cathleen, Jim, Andy, Jack, Steve, get paid by grant money.
Jim, Jack, and Andy do not get paid. They are volunteers. I do not know if others are paid. But that is their business as long as we get a good training this should not be of issue.
So you decided to take over the Washington area now and not complete with the other blogspot? After one class do you think you should do this?
The east coast is probably a better area to cover.
"Take over": I don't think we are exactly starving for resources. If we can make good use of our time, & focus on what we need, cooperation rather than competition is my preference. In so far as there are already a dozen or more CERTs in the area, we should be able to find one another for mutual aid (especially members along our borders) & planning, and other teams (anywhere) should be researched for use as models, so we needn't re-invent the wheels other teams are already using.
I have as much training as required for CERT and not as much as could be useful, but is that relevant to this site? Neither site makes claim to any authority. It is not needed. I welcome the additional effort & info.
John Birch -CERT -Mason District, Fairfax Co., Va - CERT Community blog-site - 703.533.3668
. see also Fx Co. CERT blog-site by Cathleen ?, CERT instructor?, of HLP Asso.Inc.?
I had thought that Alexandra and Fairfax teams got together to for a Capital Area CERT team.
Do you know if there is no more budgets for CERT programs? I know that money came from the state and national level. But I heard they will no longer fund the program.
The news has a lot of escelator accidents with crocs. We should have escelator emergencies as a cert topic.
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