August 2015

Webinar: Local Partnerships between the American Red Cross and CERT

 

The American Red Cross and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) serve communities throughout the United States in a variety of ways before, during, and after emergencies. But while both programs accomplish a great deal individually, they can do even more when they work together. As partners, CERT and American Red Cross programs and volunteers can work to advance their mutual goals of increasing the preparedness and resilience of local neighborhoods and communities and offering vital assistance and support in the aftermath of disasters.
The FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Division invites you to join a webinar that showcases partnerships between local American Red Cross chapters and CERT programs. Three sets of American Red Cross and CERT programs serving three jurisdictions will discuss how they are working together to make their communities safer, stronger, and more resilient. Presenters will share how they established their partnerships, what lessons they learned from the experience, and how their collaboration benefitted their programs and communities. The webinar will conclude with a question and answer session.

Title: Local Partnerships between the American Red Cross and CERT
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Time:  3:00 – 4:30 p.m. (ET)

This webinar will feature American Red Cross and CERT guest speakers from the following jurisdictions:
Delaware County, PA
Denver, CO
Detroit, MI

How to Join the Webinar:
– Adobe Connect Registration Web Link.
– Please register for the event.  Be sure to test your Adobe Connect connection prior to the meeting.
– This webinar will offer closed captioning.

We hope that you will be able to join us on September 9! If you can’t make it, we will be posting the recording, transcript, and slide deck of the presentation on this page, under “Citizen Corps Partners/Affiliates”: http://www.ready.gov/preparedness-leader/webinar-library. You can also view our most recent webinar on including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in CERT training at: https://icpd.adobeconnect.com/p1onuoh5wic/.

 

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What pet owners need to think about in the event of an emergency

I’ve been asked by Mike Simpson, Chairperson, Anne Arundel and Annapolis Citizen Corps Council to pass along this announcement for their upcoming meeting. Looks like a great topic especially for those of us who have (and are responsible for) pets. Hope to see you there. There is no RSVP.

Date: Wednesday, August 26
Time: 19:30
Location: Anne Arundel County Fire Training Academy
Speaker: June Gravitte
Topic: What pet owners need to think about in the event of an emergency.

The guest speaker will be June Gravitte, former Noah’s Wish Assistant Coordinator for Region 8, primarily responsible for Baltimore/Washington area networking (MDSART, Maryland VOAD, Prince George’s County CERT/Citizen Corps).  She  will be addressing what pet owners need to do and think about in the event of an emergency,  focusing on the basics of survival including evacuation, sheltering options, food and water as well as providing an overview of what Anne Arundel County  groups responsible for animals in disasters should consider when preparing for disaster responses.  June was part of animal sheltering deployments for Hurricanes: Katrina 2005; Gustav and Ike: 2008 (Ike was also with EARS/HSUS) Wildfire:  Lillooet, British Columbia 2010.

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CERT Basic Training Class – 9-11 October

Basic CERT Training Class
2015 October 9-11
Anne Arundel County Fire Training Academy
415 Maxwell Frye Road
Millersville, MD 21108

Fee: $20.00 to cover the cost of the training manual and disposable first aid training supplies. You will be provided with a backpack and other equipment which must be returned upon completion of the course.

Lunch: On your own – suggest that you bring a bag lunch however, there are several fast food restaurants nearby.

Attendees are required to attend all sessions to complete the class and obtain a certificate.
Register via the link to the right column.

CERT Basic Training is designed to prepare you to help yourself and to help others in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Because emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can make a difference by using your CERT training to save lives and protect property. This training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available. With training and practice, and by working as a team, you will be able to protect yourself and do the greatest good for the greatest number after a disaster.

The purpose of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training is to provide the individuals who complete this course with the basic skills that they will need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately available. By working together, CERT members can assist in saving lives and protecting property using the basic techniques in this course. The target audience for this course is individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster.
Overall Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, the participants should be able to:
1. Describe the types of hazards that are most likely to affect their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
2. Take steps to prepare themselves and their families for a disaster.
3. Describe the functions of CERTs and their role in immediate response.
4. Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
5. Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety measures to extinguish a pan fire.
6. Apply techniques for opening airways, controlling excessive bleeding, and treating for shock.
7. Conduct triage under simulated disaster conditions.
8. Perform head-to-toe patient assessments.
9. Select and set up a treatment area.
10.Employ basic treatments for various injuries and apply splints to suspected fractures and sprains.
11.Identify planning and sizeup requirements for potential search and rescue situations.
12.Describe the most common techniques for searching a structure.
13.Work as a team to apply safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication.
14.Describe ways to protect rescuers during search and rescue operations.
15.Describe the post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that rescuers can take to relieve their own stressors and those of disaster survivors.
16.Describe CERT organization and documentation requirements. In addition to the overall course objectives listed above, each unit has specific objectives.

Course Outline

Unit – 1 Disaster Preparedness
– Introductions and Overview 
– Community Preparedness: Roles and Responsibilities 
– Hazards and Their Potential Impact 
– Impact on the Infrastructure 
– Home and Workplace Preparedness 
– Reducing the Impact of Hazards Through Mitigation 
– CERT Disaster Response 
– Protection for Disaster Workers 
– Additional Training for CERTs 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 2 Fire Safety and Utility Controls 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Fire Chemistry 
– Fire and Utility Hazards 
– CERT Sizeup 
– Fire Sizeup Considerations 
– Firefighting Resources 
– Fire Suppression Safety 
– Hazardous Materials 
– Exercise: Suppressing Small Fires
– Unit Summary

Unit – 3 Disaster Medical Operations — Part 1 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Treating Life-Threatening Conditions 
– Triage 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 4 Disaster Medical Operations — Part 2 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Public Health Considerations 
– Functions of Disaster Medical Operations 
– Establishing Medical Treatment Areas 
– Conducting Head-to-Toe Assessments 
– Treating Burns 
– Wound Care 
– Treating Fractures, Dislocations, Sprains, and Strains 
– Nasal Injuries 
– Treating Cold-Related Injuries 
– Treating Heat-Related Injuries 
– Bites and Stings 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 5 Light Search and Rescue Operations 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Safety During Search and Rescue Operations 
– Conducting Interior and Exterior Search Operations 
– Conducting Rescue Operations 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 6 CERT Organization 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– CERT Organization 
– CERT Mobilization  
– Documentation 
– Activity: ICS Functions 
– Activity: Tabletop Exercise 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 7 Disaster Psychology 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Disaster Trauma 
– Team Well-Being 
– Working with Survivors’ Trauma 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 8 Terrorism and CERT 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– What Is Terrorism? 
– Terrorist Targets 
– Terrorist Weapons 
– CBRNE Indicators 
– Preparing at Home, Work, and in Your Neighborhood 
– CERTs and Terrorist Incidents 
– Activity: Applying CERT Principles to a Suspected Terrorist Incident 
– Unit Summary

Unit – 9 Course Review, Final Exam, and Disaster Simulation 
– Introduction and Unit Overview 
– Course Review 
– Final Exam 
– Disaster Simulation
Exercise Critique and Summary

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Training Opportunities – Online

Social Media in Emergency Management #SMEM
August 12, 2015, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
Presented by Corey Mulryan, Associate and EMSS Coordinator, Hagerty Consulting

Agencies and jurisdictions must know how to use social media in real time during disasters. We will show you how to use social media tools effectively to communicate and collaborate with your targeted audiences. Don’t miss this interesting and fun presentation! To register for this training, visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6547152306268116482

Management of Spontaneous Unaffiliated Volunteers Training
September 2, 2015, 2:00-4:00pm ET
Presented by Ken Skalitzky, Emergency Management Director, Volunteer Florida

Disasters often evoke an outpouring of individuals wanting to be a part of response and relief activities.  These individuals, although well-intentioned, are rarely trained and can add to the already overtaxed resources available to assist the impacted community.  This online training will help organizations manage “spontaneous” volunteers effectively. To reserve a spot in this training, please visit:   https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1750811006537192193

Operation Volunteer Placement: A Volunteer Reception Center Exercise
September 24, 2015

Operation Volunteer Placement allows agencies and organizations tasked with the coordination of spontaneous volunteers during a disaster to exercise their plan in a web-based simulation.  Participants work together as a unified team in establishing, managing and demobilizing a Volunteer Reception Center.

This exercise is intended for group interaction and should include local partners involved in the management of disaster volunteers, including EMAs and sister government agencies, VOADs, and other nonprofits.  This exercise is self-paced and can be accessed between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET. It lasts between 90 minutes and three hours, depending on group interaction.

NOTE: While intended for group interaction, each participant should individually register to ensure receipt of post-exercise certificate of participation.

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AAACERT Assists City of Annapolis with July 4th Parade

Anne Arundel – Annapolis CERT members assisted the City of Annapolis with the annual July 4th parade serving as Parade Marshals. The parade began at on Amos Garret proceeded down West Street around Church Circle and down Main Street and ended in front of the Market House. CERT Member’s duties including lining up the parade participants in proper order, ensuring parade safety, observing for hazards during the parade and assisting Annapolis PD with traffic control.
The parade included fire engines from Annapolis as well as privately owned apparatus, scouts, marching bands, dance troupes, car clubs, politicians, military veteran groups and others.

AAACERT Parade Marshals were specifically trained by the Annapolis City Office of Emergency Management.

If you are interested in learning about Anne Arundel – Annapolis CERT, Emergency – Disaster preparedness or how you may become involved with AAACERT contact us through our “Contact” page.

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