For AAACERT members only.
An invite has been sent to all members. Join us for a Jeopardy style game night hosted by AACC.
In-Person. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
In-Person. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
Virtual. Private Invite Only.
In-Person class. Private Invite Only.
Virtual class. Private Invite Only.
Virtual class. Private Invite Only.
An update from the Anne Arundel County Health Department, Office of Emergency Preparedness. This will be a Zoom presentation.
Do they see me? Did they hear my command to stop? You should never assume the answer to these questions is YES. One of the more common tasks members of AAACERT participate in is traffic control. A group of AAACERT members underwent training on April 11, 2021, at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold. President Bruce Morgenstern and Coordinator Joe Dorffner served as instructors. Before the practical exercise, members attended a 1-hour virtual class. Traffic control is just one of many volunteer opportunities available to AAACERT members during every season each year. To find out more visit www.aaacert.org.
WHAT DO YOU DO? You’re at home, work, or simply grocery shopping. You hear screaming and see someone bleeding badly from the arm and a small cut on their head. Many people can freeze in a situation like this but those trained in life-saving techniques of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Automated External Defibrillator, and Basic First Aid (CPR/AED/BFA) can save a limb or even a life.
Members of Anne Arundel-Annapolis CERT (AAACERT) had the opportunity to train and become certified in an OSHA and Maryland state workplace requirements class. This basic course helped prepare members to recognize and care for people experiencing cardiac emergencies (heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke) and to properly operate an Automated External Defibrillator. Members also learned to recognize other common medical emergencies and know what to do when they occur — from sprains to massive bleeding.
If you are interested in this and other training opportunities, many free or at a substantially discounted rate, think about joining AAACERT. Visit our website to learn more at www.aaacert.org. Or consider a donation to help our all-volunteer group continue its mission in supporting our communities.
When we’re driving the highways and byways, we often see trucks with ominous signs that have numbers below the image. What do these signs mean? What should we do if there is an accident involving one of these vehicles?
Members of Anne Arundel-Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team recently attended a presentation on these hazard symbols and how to interpret the data on them. You can also understand these signs by downloading the Emergency Response Guidebook at the link provided below. The application works from both iPhone and Android platforms — search the App Store for “ERG.” The Guidebook is free and provides information on all the signs we typically see while riding the roads and rails. To learn more about CERT, visit our website at aaacert.org, where you can find information about becoming a member.
Members of the Anne Arundel-Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team (AAACERT) underwent Traffic Control training on Oct. 9, at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold. President Bruce Morgenstern and Coordinator Joe Dorffner served as instructors. Before the practical exercise, members attended a 1-hour virtual class. AAACERT members routinely perform traffic control at many sites around the County, both for special events, and particularly now for COVID-19-related emergency management tasks. Traffic control is just one of many volunteer opportunities available to AAACERT members during every season each year. To find out more visit www.aaacert.org.
AAACERT hosted its first online training via Zoom on March 25, 2020, on the topic of emergency sanitation and hygiene. President Bruce Morgenstern welcomed participants and explained that AAACERT is using this interactive video platform to practice safe social distancing during the pandemic of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The presenter, Public Information Officer Jonathan Hutson, thanked our corporate donors: Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, makers of the Cabela’s Easy Up privacy and shower shelter and Camp Commode camping toilet; home improvement store Home Depot; Rambler Wheels, makers of the Wild Stool emergency bucket toilet seat; and Lavario, makers of the Lavario off-grid, portable washing machine.
Hutson, who had been planning a training on emergency sanitation and hygiene for several months, and adapted some of the material in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, asked participants to imagine:
A hurricane knocks out the power grid for three weeks. Flood waters compromise public sanitation and water treatment facilities. When you flip the light switch, nothing happens. Your toilet won’t flush. You can’t get clean water from your taps. Public health authorities warn that local waterways are contaminated with bacteria, viruses, protozoa, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and particulates.
Shelters are crowded. If you have the option to stay put, and if you prefer to shelter in place, then what is your plan to get clean water, practice safe hygiene, or go to the bathroom?
Hutson pointed out that sound, scalable solutions are available based on knowledge and experience from disaster response agencies around the world, public health officials, boaters, campers, hikers, hunters, RVers, and nurses.
This training, which AAACERT hopes to make available soon by video, shows safe, effective, practical, understandable, and affordable ways to get clean water to prepare a cup of hot coffee; make an easy, nutritious meal; and wash up. Demonstrations included: how to take a rinseless sponge bath with three ounces of water; how to clean your hands and shampoo your hair with no water; how to make an emergency toilet for $20 – and why your household needs two of these; how to keep your emergency toilets fresh-smelling and free of flies; how to safely dispose of your waste; how to find and store toilet paper alternatives; and how to put up a simple privacy screen. Beyond the basics, participants learned how to upgrade their emergency toilets; how to light them up without electricity or find them in the dark; and how to adapt them for people who are pregnant, recovering from surgery, heavy, or unsteady on their feet.
This training included practical applications for individual households, shelter workers, first responders, and search-and-rescue teams in the field. The hands-on demonstrations were followed by a question and answer period.
Products demonstrated during the training included:
Cabela’s Easy Up privacy and shower shelter, which is very sturdy and large enough to accommodate two emergency bucket toilets, and which can also be used as a shower tent or changing room
Yeti Loadout 5-gallon bucket for making emergency bucket toilets (one for liquids and another for solids)
Wild Stool toilet seat for Yeti Loadout and all 5-gallon buckets
Luggable Loo snap-on toilet seat for 5-gallon buckets
Cabela’s Camp Commode camping toilet, which can be used with heavy kitchen garbage bags or with Double Doodie toilet waste bags
Coconut coir bricks, which may be used in place of sawdust to eliminate odors and keep pests away from solid waste
Heavy-duty, biodegradable kitchen trash bags to line emergency bucket toilets
Strongtek toilet stool to aid toddlers in using emergency bucket toilets and to keep the lines to the bathroom moving faster
Cyalume Cyflect reflective, glow-in-the-dark tape with adhesive backing to help you find your emergency toilets and bedside commodes in low light conditions
Bedside-Care Spray no-rinse cleanser and Dry shampoo to keep clean while conserving water
Scrubbz rinse-free bath sponges that are light enough to carry in a backpack or store in a glove compartment for emergency hygiene when you need to take a sponge bath
Hibiclens antiseptic/antimicrobial skin cleanser to create an invisible film on your hands that keeps killing bacteria, viruses, and fungi for six or more hours
Compressed toilet tissues to store emergency toilet paper in your pocket, glove compartment, purse, or backpack
KennelSol germicidal detergent and deodorizer to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, to be diluted and used with a spray bottle for cleaning solutions to spray down delivery packages and canned goods, or to sanitize counters. You may also use it with a mop to sanitize floors.
Calcium Hypochlorite crystals for making bleach. One gallon of crystals will remain shelf stable for more than 10 years and make 10,000 gallons of bleach — enough for your whole neighborhood.
Lumin UV-C light cleaner for CPAP machines and PhoneSoap’s HomeSoap UV light cleaner to sterilize phones, N95 respirators, keys, flashlights, and other small gear using UV-C light.
Lavario portable clothes washer (enter code AAACERT for a 20% discount) to wash your clothes off-grid when the power is out.
Life Straw personal water filter for emergency hydration
Grayle Geopress 24-ounce water purifier
Royal Berkey gravity-fed water filter, 3.25 gallon capacity. A pair of Black Berkey Purification Elements (included) lasts for up to 6,000 gallons before needing replacement.
Iwatani single-burner, 15,000 BTU butane stove with easy, intuitive 8-ounce butane canister connection, heat sink to promote fuel efficiency, and safety features.
Thermos thermal cooker because cooking with retained heat can conserve 95 percent of your fuel.
AAACERT trains volunteers in disaster response skills and emergency preparedness. AAACERT volunteers assist others in our community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help. When activated under the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management, or the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, AAACERT supports emergency response agencies.
On Oct. 16, Anne Arundel-Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team (AAACERT) hosted Mr. Paul Bowling, who provided training on the Maryland Overdose Response Program. Mr. Bowling is a Physician Assistant with over 40 years’ experience in Trauma, Critical Care, and Emergency Medicine and is also involved in Healthcare Emergency Management. Mr. Bowling currently serves as the president of AAACERT.
Mr. Bowling noted that Anne Arundel County has a particularly high rate of opioid overdose deaths. Anne Arundel’s total deaths by opioid overdose in 2018 exceeded those of some of the neighboring counties in Maryland.
An opioid is any drug that contains opium or its derivative. The opioid crisis began in the 1990s with the free flow of these substances due to liberal prescription practices by providers and promotion by drug companies. Opioids can be either prescription medications or illegal drugs, and are ingested by various means. The most common opioids are the prescription drugs oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, morphine, and codeine; as well as the illegal drugs heroin and fentanyl.
Opioids vary in lethality per individual and circumstances. They are especially lethal for the elderly. Moreover, as opioids act on the brain, they become increasingly more toxic when mixed with another opioid, alcohol, benzodiazepines, and/or cocaine.
The effects of an opioid overdose can be reversed by naloxone (brand name Narcan). Naloxone reverses opioid overdose and restores breathing within a few minutes of being administered. It has no effects on a person who has not taken opioids (including the person giving it), so it is safe even if an overdose is mistakenly understood but has not occurred; moreover, the other side effects of naloxone for the person in overdose are minimal and rare. Naloxone can be given intranasally, intramuscularly, or intravenously. The drug onset is within 1-2 minutes, and it wears off in 30-90 minutes. Unfortunately, there are super-opioids on the street for which one dose of naloxone is not sufficient, so further dose(s) may be required.
Opioid overdose is characterized by several signs and symptoms. Like a person who is “high,” the victim’s pupils become very constricted (small). However, the victim may also display the following symptoms:
Due to the dangers of an opioid’s effects impacting the responder, it is imperative always to wear gloves when attempting to help the victim.
The following steps are recommended when responding to an opioid overdose victim.
*Administer the naloxone first if the person is unconscious; a second dose may be necessary after calling 911.
When administering naloxone, allow 1-3 minutes for the medication to work. If breathing is not restored after 2-3 minutes, give another dose, and continue resuscitation as necessary. Be sure to follow the 911 dispatcher’s instructions once you have called.
It is also important to stay with the individual until medical help arrives. S/he may feel ill or agitated or need to vomit. If the person cannot sit up, make sure they are in the recovery position (right side, arm supporting head, bent knee to support body). Help the person to stay calm, and encourage him/her not to take more opioids. Remember that a person “coming to” is often annoyed, confused, and/or combative, so be sure to stay alert and protect yourself.
If you administer naloxone, it is important to call the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) within two hours after the event, as this entity tracks the lethality of various street drugs, where they are trafficked and used, and other key information about opioids.
Finally, if you respond to an opioid overdose in progress, be assured that you cannot be held liable for a good faith attempt to help someone. Under the “Good Samaritan” measures in the Code of Maryland, Health General, Section 13-3110, “an individual who administers naloxone to an individual believed to be experiencing an overdose shall have immunity from liability under Sections 6-603 and 5-629 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article.” Additionally, the Code of Maryland, Criminal Procedure Article, Section 1-120 states that, “a person who seeks, provides or assists with medical assistance for another person experiencing an alcohol- or drug-related medical emergency cannot be arrested, charged, or prosecuted for possession of a controlled dangerous substance; possession or use of drug paraphernalia; or providing alcohol to minors.” Moreover, calling 911 will not affect the parole or probation status of a person attempting to help.
Naloxone is available as a prescription from any licensed healthcare provider with prescribing authority or an authorized ordering, referring, or providing (ORP) entity that dispenses naloxone. Per statewide standing order, any person can obtain naloxone at a participating pharmacy. For a list of pharmacies that stock naloxone, visit the Maryland Department of Health Behavioral Administration’s information page.
AAACERT trains volunteers in disaster response skills and emergency preparedness. AAACERT volunteers assist others in our community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help. When activated under the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management, or the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, AAACERT supports emergency response agencies. For more information, visit www.aaacert.org.
By Laurie Goodell
Ms. Arlene G. Crow, Emergency Manager for Anne Arundel Community College, recently provided training to the Anne Arundel-Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team (AAACERT) on the operational members’ potential role in a biological incident.
Ms. Crow began the session by outlining the various forms and categories of bio-agents that might trigger a need for prophylactic dispensing to the general public. Bio-agents can occur in one of three forms: bacterial, virus, or toxin. Bacterial agents are distinguished by, among other things, their ability to replicate cells independently. Viruses, however, cannot reproduce outside the host body. A third type of agent, toxin, is a potent poison with organic origin.
Bio-agents are categorized according to their ease of transmission or dissemination; severity of mortality potential; need for preparedness; and ability to threaten national security or day-to-day social functioning. Category A, the highest-risk agents, include anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularemia, and certain viral hemorrhagic fevers. Category B agents include ricin, salmonella, certain encephalitis fevers, waterborne threats such as vibrio cholerae, and others. Category C agents are those with an emerging pathway, and which could be engineered for harm to the public. These include influenza, rabies, drug-resistant tuberculosis, SARS, and others. Emergency managers must be prepared to respond to a potential outbreak of any category agent.
The next phase of the training focused on the origins and symptoms of Category A bio-agents that cause the highest threat to the public: anthrax, tularemia, plague, smallpox, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. Ms. Crow noted that nearly all of these agents’ initial symptoms are flulike, highlighting the challenge for medical responders and diagnosticians in determining exactly with what malady a patient may present.
In all cases of a potential bio-threat, health departments, in conjunction with emergency managers, would act swiftly to establish points of dispensing (PODs) to distribute prophylactic medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile on a large scale that could protect the public. PODs can be set up indoor, outdoor, or as drive-thrus. Ms. Crow noted the efficacy of drive-thru PODs due to their ease of use for the public, the police, and the medical community. She reminded CERT members of the need for logistical necessities for all who participate, either as customers or workers – i.e., a large space, full gas tanks, available bathroom facilities, food for workers, etc.
CERT members have an important role in the smooth functioning of a POD. Among the functions CERT teamers can carry out during a POD are traffic control/lane controllers; set-up and tear-down; administrative support; communications/runners; data collection; resupply; greeters; logistics; and, in some cases, even dispensing or assisting with the dispensing of medication.
For more information on bioterrorism and response, visit the Centers for Disease control (CDC’s) information page.
