April 2015 - Whatcom CERT
Contents
1. In addition Zachery Leavitt Bryan McCombs Zach Shirk and Audrey Ugrin attended the class and will become CERT graduates upon completing missed sessions And Bradley Yeung decided to review his CERT training and attended several sessions including the final exercise CERT 74 CERT 74 was organized for The Whatcom Volunteer Center It had its final exercise on March 20 again at St John s Lutheran Church Bryon Powell and were principle instructors with Bryon becoming a certified instructor Marty Weber Abby Lund Mel Monkelis Dennis Webb Barrie Flicker Mary Lee Fenton and Jackie Kloosterboer are now CERT grads Also Susan Rogers and Chalice Dew Johnson yes that Chalice attended the class and will graduate CERT upon attended in missed sessions CERT 73 CERT 73 has been organized for the Sudden Valley area Schedule for the remaining sessions is below Brian Lawler and are coordinating and Brock Ward is helping as a new instructor Classes begin at 6 PM and will generally be held at the Southwest Fire Authority SWFA building in Sudden Valley Session 6 ICS DP Apr 6 Session 7 Tbltop Apr 13 Session 8 Final Apr 20 Aline Elie Ruth Evans and Todd Ollila from previous CERT classes made up missed sessions and are now graduated would say that M arch was a busy CERT month hope you noticed the several instances of previous CERT graduates who came back to attend classes as are2. a COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM Whatcom Unified Emergency Management WHATCOM COUNTY CERT NEWS WHATCOM COUNTY SHERIFF S OFFICE WCSO SHERIFF BILL ELFO DIRECTOR Mailing Address 311 GRAND AVENUE Bellingham WA 98225 4078 April 2015 INSIDE CLASSES ACTIVITIES INFORMATION PREPAREDNESS CERT is about readiness people helping people rescuer safety and doing the greatest good for the greatest number WHAT IF TODAY IS THE DAY ARE YOU READY We re on the web www whatcomcertorg CERT Session 3 DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEM KENT CATLIN DEPUTY DIRECTOR Physical Location Whatcom Unified Emergency Coordination Center GOODBYES One of our local CERT team leaders Is moving Stephanie Soicher who has headed the Acme CERT Team for several years is moving to Olympia Thank you Stephanie for all your work am glad to announce that Julie Mitchell and Lisa Brown will take over the leadership roles in Acme Also saw in the paper that CERT member Sheri Kneeskern has died We send our sympathy to her friends and family CERT MUSTER WCSO DEM Deputy Director Kent Catlin has scheduled a CERT Muster for Friday and Saturday May 15 and 16 What does this mean Anytime between 9 AM and 1 PM on Friday M ay 15 or Saturday M ay 16 all CERT 3s and as many CERT 2s as wish living within driving distance of Bellingham should bring their CERT kits and co
3. Date Saturday June 6th 2015 Time 11 00 AM to 2 00 PM Location Barkley Regal Cinemas parking lot Bellingham We are in the early stages of planning for the 6 Annual Safe Kids Safety Fair Last year over 700 kids and adults attended learning about safety from many local agencies and organizations For your information Safe Kids Whatcom County has joined with Safe Kids Skagit Island to become Safe Kids Northwest a coalition of agencies in three counties working to prevent unintentional injury in children under the age of 19 and sponsor of this year s safety fair If you wish to help staff a CERT booth contact Lacey at 360 296 6835 or shoemaker lacey gmail com WORDS OF JOY from Joy Krumdiack TIPS FOR CALLING MORE 9 1 1 While the topic of calling to get help from 9 1 1 is still fresh on our minds here are some tips about cells phone use with 9 1 1 Accidental calls to 9 1 1 happen so frequently they are overloading Washington s 9 1 1 phone system In 2004 it was found that half of all calls to 9 1 1 were cell phone calls made accidentally Accidental calls will occur when the phone is placed in a pocket belt clip or purse and the preprogrammed emergency button is bumped Here are some suggestions to help prevent misdialing 1 Lock your keypad Check your phone s user manual to find out how to do this 2 Turn off the 9 1 1 Auto Dial feature Not all cell phones have this feature 3
4. Do not program 9 1 1 into the speed dial If you do accidentally dial the number stay on the phone Tell the operator that your call is a misdial before you hang up Be informed Free up 9 1 1 phone lines for real life police fire or medical emergencies Remember these basics for cell phone users 1 Always be AWARE of your surroundings 2 Provide the operator with landmarks such as cross streets and mileposts 3 BE PREPARED Memorize your cell phone number The operator will ask you for it 4 Stay CONNECTED Do not hang up until told to do so If you do happen to get disconnected call the 9 1 1 operator back FEMA INFORMATION WIRELESS ALERTS Have you ever noticed a unique sound and vibration coming from your cell phone You may have received a Wireless Emergency Alert WEA a nationwide emergency alert system notifying you of a pending emergency in your area These messages provide information about extreme weather warnings local emergencies AM BER Alerts and Presidential Alerts during a national emergency W EAs look like a text message and show the type and time of the alert any action you should take and the agency issuing the alert If you receive a WEA follow any directions advised by the message and seek additional information from local media or authorities WEAs are sent by authorized government agencies through your mobile carrier Government partners include local and state p
5. 28 of 2015 These classes will be offered back to back at the WUECC beginning on April 6 You do not have to sign up for both classes Sign up for TtT if that is all you wish to be To enroll in these courses you have to be approved by the local CERT organization me For more information contact Paula at Paula towne ofm wa gov Citizen Corps amp CERT Program Coordinator 302 Sid Snyder Ave SW Suite 140 MS 43113 Olympia WA 98504 3113 360 725 5290 o 360 701 0208 c UPCOMING CERT ACTIVITIES COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING New CERT Instructor Ron Shrigley has offered to give a 2 hour seminar on how when and where to use radios such as the FRS radios you may have seen during your training Ron is a ham radio operator and very knowledgeable on this subject have not been a big proponent of using radios during the various finals but Ron s CERT 71 class seemed to use these very effectively The seminar will be on Thursday April 23 at 6 30 PM at the WUECC 3888 Sound Way Please let Ron know if you ll come ron shrigley gmail com TRAILER CLEANING Bradley Yeung M anager of the CERT Trailer will be here at 11 30 AM on the morning of Tuesday April 7 to do some cleaning of the trailer and the CERT kits Come if you are willing to help Dress for the occasion SPECIAL PROJECT just received the following word from CERT Special Projects Team Leader Lacey Shoemaker What Safe Kids Safety Fair
6. ERT For those living in North Folk Valley you are now scheduled to muster at the 10 AM and Noon on Saturday M ay 16 Bill Aiken will host the event LUM MI ISLAND CERT For those on Lummi Island you will muster at the Fire Station between 10 AM and Noon on the morning of Saturday May 16 Mary Stack will host PT ROBERTS PREP It looks as if your muster will be held at the Pt Roberts Fire Station but on a later date Henry Rosenthal will host ACME CERT It looks as if your muster will be held at the River of Life Church on Wednesday M ay 20 from 7 to 8PM Julie and Lisa will host Why are we doing this In June 2016 the State of Washington Is conducting a huge exercise in preparation for the expected 9 0 earthquake CERT people will be needed to support this exercise in the Emergency Operations Center We want to ensure you have the training to do this effectively Over and above this when the real thing comes whether it be in Bellingham or one of the more remote areas we want you to be trained in doing what may be needed to help your fellow citizens Please put those dates down on your calendar And if you are a CERT 2 and want to take part perhaps this would be a good time to send in your background check application and become a CERT 3 MANY CERT CLASSES CERT 71 CERT 71 completed its final exercise on March 26 at the Civil Air Patrol CAP facility on Williamson Way The CAP cadets
7. l them at 360 734 3055 CONTINUING EDUCATION See the latest CERT News for current details CHANGES ARE CONSTANT CERT IS FLEXIBLE Additional info Bob Jacobson phone 360 778 7163 or bjacobso co whatcom wa us
8. me to the Whatcom Unified Emergency Coordination Center 3888 Sound Way Bellingham WA Volume 17 Issue 4 WUECC 3888 Sound Way You will sign in have your CERT safety kit checked to see if you have the minimum equipment needed helmet goggles face mask vest light and heavy gloves and flashlight check your contact information to insure it is correct select which if any of four real world tasks you would be willing to perform following a major disaster and go through the out processing procedure This out processing is important M any emergency workers do not arrive home safely following their deployment We want to make certain that does not happen to any of our CERTs You will be asked to respond to an email message or a phone message so DEM knows you got home OK This same type of activity will be conducted in the county s outer areas What are the four real world activities 1 Manage and work ina distribution center for emergency materials supplies 2 Work in a Volunteer Mobilization Center 3 Support the local officials by performing assigned administrative tasks 4 Support Search and Rescue SAR efforts by being a buddy to SAR personnel and looking for personnel effects SUDDEN VALLEY CERT For those living in Sudden Valley you are now scheduled to muster at the Sudden Valley Fire Department between 10 AM and Noon on Saturday May 16 Norm Smith will host the event KENDALL B
9. ning expires and Instructions on what to do if cell phone towers and other communication are down Features of the hurricane app include e One touch I m safe messaging that users can share with family members via social media outlets Location based NOAA weather alerts and e Checklists for creating a family emergency plan The ARC also offers a mobile application that engages children in disaster preparedness in a fun exciting way The M onster Guard app uses an interactive game to show kids how to stay safe when responding to emergencies at home Take action today Download these apps to your tablet or smartphone using the Apple App Store or Android Google Play All Health amp Safety classes CPR First Aid etc can be found by going to www redcross org and clicking on classes You then enter your zip code and all local offerings will appear Contact the Mt Baker Chapter for more information 733 3290 LAS THE VOLUNTEER CENTER Of Whatcom County Did you notice the Volunteer Center just sponsored its own CERT Class This organization will be VERY active following a major disaster setting up Volunteer M obilization Centers around the county CERT members may be asked to help That is one of the tasks we will be asking about at the CERT Musters coming up in May www whatcomvolunteer org e The Volunteer Center is at 301 W Holly Street e Suite M 06 e Cal
10. safe and Discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat seafood or poultry juices Power outages can occur anywhere at any time of the year M ake sure you and your family are prepared and know what to do to avoid getting sick Mark Challender webmaster Michael Steed facebook Greg Marshall photographer Lacey Shoemaker Projects The CERT newsletter can be found at www whatcomcert org _ Does your family howe gri emergency gamie plan uj Make Your Plan Today THE AMERICAN RED CROSS ARC You can purchase emergency supplies online at the Red Cross Store http www redcrossstore org realize this is late but received this information after had done the March CERT NEWS figure late is better than never March is ARC Month Now is a good time to familiarize yourself with some of the disaster preparedness tools the Red Cross offers including a variety of mobile applications apps The free apps provide alerts for weather hazards first aid shelter pet first aid and more As the winter weather hazards come to an end you can use the weather related apps to prepare for spring hazards such as tornadoes and hurricanes Features of the tornado app include e An audible siren that automatically sounds when the app is closed if a tornado warning Is issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA A notification when the war
11. ublic safety agencies FEMA the Federal Communications Commission the Department of Homeland Security and the National Weather Service SAFE FOOD Loss of power can jeopardize the safety of the food stored in your home refrigerator or freezer In the event of a blackout do you know how to determine if your food is safe to eat The U S Department of Agriculture USDA offers tips to minimize the potential loss of food and lower the risk of foodborne illness Before a blackout e Gather an emergency supply of shelf stable food packaged foods boxed or canned milk bottle water and canned goods Have coolers and frozen gel packs on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power goes out longer than four hours and Keep freezer items close together this helps the food stay cold longer Bacteria in food grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit The USDA instructs setting your refrigerator at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit If the power is out for less than four hours and the refrigerator door is kept closed your food should be safe Following a blackout Discard any perishable food items such as meat poultry fish eggs and leftovers that have been exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more Use a food thermometer to test the temperature of food never taste it You can t rely on appearance and odor to determine whether food is
12. view Unless Space is prohibitive that is always allowed Congratulations All CERT 75 Bryon Powell anew CERT instructor is working with Jonah Stinson to set up a CERT class for Saturday mornings from 9 AM to Noon somewhere on the Whatcom Community College campus They are currently scheduled to start on April 11 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6 Session 7 Session 8 Prep Apr 11 Fire Apr 18 FD 8 Med I Apr 25 SAR May 2 Med Il May 9 ICS DP May 16 Tbitop May 23 Final May 30 MA MAM AM AMA A A BTC CERT Depending on if enough students sign up the next Bellingham Technical College CERT class is scheduled to begin on Thursday evening April 16 SKAGIT CERT There is going to be a CERT class in Anacortes Classes will be held on Thursday nights beginning on April 9th at the Skyline Community Beach Clubhouse near ferry terminal They will run from 6 30 to 9 30 PM The final will be on Saturday May 16th Contact Rick Wallace rewallacepm ff comcast net sa lt citizen corps JENNY QUESTIONS You may have noticed a lack of JENNY QUESTIONS recently still need someone to pick up this column If you are interested contact me ONGOING TRAINING CERT TRAIN the TRAINER TtT Washington State CERT Program M anager Paula Townes has announced that Whatcom County will host the first Program M anager Course E0427 and CERT TtT E04
13. were great victims This class was organized by management of the Signature HomeHealth Company for their staff Greg Hope and Ron Shrigley were co instructors and based on the skill with which the class performed did a wonderful job New CERT members include Airyn Yanik Carli Barrios Sarah Clarke Justin Hammett Greg Jones who did his final with CERT 74 Jennifer Koivisto Barbara Luton Rebecca Noel Erika Sandstrom Nicole Small and Isabelle Stone In addition Tiffany Barrios Ellen Glasser Marilee Hagee Bart Sproule and Sandy Sproule attended the class and will become CERT graduates upon completing missed sessions Finally Dave Kosincz who completed CERT 11 attended and took part in the exercise with his wife and stepson CERT 72 CERT 72 completed its final exercise at St John s Lutheran Church in downtown Bellingham on February 28 It was organized for the Whatcom County Search and Rescue SAR Team Ron Shrigley and Greg Hope also were principle instructors for this class under the tutelage of Geri Chumley Greg and Ron are now CERT course coordinators The comments regarding CERT 71 above are also true for CERT 72 New CERT members include Quinn Butler Sonya Kaufman Brian Lindsay who did his final with CERT 74 Gregory Pash Sheldon Reinheller and Isabelle Stratford Ed Honcoop Fred Knight and Doug Schell from previous classes attended missed sessions and are now CERT grads
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