THE CERT ALERT Volume 1, Issue 1 Winter 2004 Volume 1, Issue 1 RED CROSS SHELTER MANAGEMENT We are planning to offer a Shelter Management course to CERT graduates in April. The American Red Cross Fresno Chapter has agreed to provide training related to emergency shelter operations and management. Those attending will complete a two-part course. The first is a self- study unit of about 45 minutes prior to the classroom training. For additional information call 621-2328. AMATEUR RADIO Steve Bassett, a local HAM (Amateur Radio operator) is mobilizing an Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Team to work with CERT and other public safety agencies. Steve is the ARES Emergency Coordinator for Fresno County. The team will provide communications during a disaster. For additional details contact Steve at na6g@comcast.net. http://fresnoares.home.comcast.net GREEN TEAM COMPLETES FIFTH TRAINING CYCLE Instructors Gather Before Class; Archive Photo Saturday February 21st we delivered the final two units in the regular CERT training cycle. Terrorism and CERT were covered in the morning session. After lunch (courtesy of Michelle, Ken and others) we ran the final simulation with the help of Gwen and Glen Blomgren, John Bradford, Kenneth Bangs, Ali Umar and Cedric Reese. The facilities at the Police Annex turned out to be ideal for such a simulation. Glen and Kenneth did an external size-up and conducted a SAR in the hallways. John and Ali applied moulage to CERT graduates Ed Henderson and Joe Lopez. Gwen facilitated the group in running a table-top mock incident While performing as a victim Saturday, Ed reported he was working in his own neighborhood to identify resident’s skills and neighborhood resources. This is notable work to help prepare for a disaster, as well as build relationships that will be of benefit to the neighborhood in a crisis. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is coordinated by the Fresno Citizen Corps and is made possible through the generous support of the volunteer instructors; and the County of Fresno, Fresno Police Department and the Fresno Fire Department. Special thanks to American Ambulance for the use of their first-class training facilities; and Mary Banigan, RN for her work in creating the CERT Alert newsletter. CERT Fresno is made possible by business community support and by a FEMA/California State GOSERV grant. Fresno CERT Training is a standardized Department of Homeland Security FEMA twenty-hour course for residents of Central California. To learn more about the Fresno Citizen Corps go to: http://www.fresnocitizencorps.org. Note to Instructors: We are asking you to record your CERT donated time. An On-line Volunteer email time sheet is located on the documents page. Click on the form and complete the information. As this is a server-based form there is some delay and lag in submission, however, those with patience are rewarded with a confirmation page reflecting their submission. This is an excellent way to show quantitatively how much CERT benefits the community. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is presently offering an online video on the History of Bioterrorism which can be either downloaded or viewed directly on their website at: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/training/historyofbt/index.asp. This 26-minute video will be made available from the Public Health Foundation in the coming weeks. Parts of this video were adapted from “Biological Warfare and Terrorism: The Military and Public Health Response,” co-produced by the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infections Diseases, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1999). The Federal Emergency Management Administration's education section has a new on-line independent CERT course for those who might have an interest in CERT, or for those who have graduated seeking a refresher. The on-line course takes six to eight hours to complete. For details, go to: http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is317.asp Note: This is not a substitute for, nor does it provide equivalency for, the 20-hour training provided by a FEMA course such as CERT Fresno. The sixth CERT session is being held on Thursday evenings from 6:00–8:30 at American Ambulance. March 11th Disaster Preparation March 18th Basic Fire Safety March 25th Emergency Medical Operations I - Triage April 1st Emergency Medical Operations II - Treatment April 8th Light Search and Rescue April 15th CERT Organization and Disaster Psychology April 22nd Terrorism April 29th CERT Review and Disaster Simulation For information: CitizenCorps@Fresno.gov Colonel Mary Kight, Air National Guard Demonstrates Fire Suppression Technique We used Fresno City Fire Station 3 Training facility for the Unit 2 Fire Suppression Unit. After blowing dust every- where, Station 3 on-duty personnel hosed the dust away. CERT Trainees got an up-close look at Engine 3 and had a chance to interact with the firefighters. Captain Richard Esparza assisted Kevin McCarthy in the training session. Reserve Sergeant John Bradford was feeling better and helped in the fire suppression training. By Chaplain Ron Richardson Critical Incident Stress Management: Individual Intervention and Peer Support is a vital training for crisis response. Training is certified by the Interna-tional Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Learn psychological reactions to crisis, techniques for effective communication, and the SAFER model of intervention. The course teaches skills for one-on-one crisis intervention and to aid their peers in crisis. Continuing Education Units are available through the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD. TRAINING CALENDAR Chaplain Basic Training Days 1-2 – Squaw Valley, CA – March 4-5 Days 3-4 – Squaw Valley, CA – March 11-12 Pastoral Crisis Intervention Fresno, CA – February 27-28 Fresno, CA – June 18-19 School Resource Chaplain Training Fresno, CA – May 8 Taking Back Our Teens Fresno, CA – November 6 & 13 For further details, contact Chaplain Ron Richardson at ccfcpres@earthlink.net Adult learners see themselves as capable of self-direction and they want others to see them in the same way. Adult learners: Seek self-defined opportunities Want to direct their own learning Are adults and want to be treated as adults. Are motivated when they have a need Want to know how training will help them immediately Instructors should need to explore why learners want to learn Instructors also give learned hands-on to experience the benefits. Instructor assumes the role of learning resource CONGRATULATIONS CLASS 5