Disaster Preparedness

[FIJI]

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) Train the Trainer's Academy. This is an Oakland County subdivision under the Homeland Security Act & FEMA umbrella, and I am now a CERT Instructor and First Responder (actually, I've already been a First Resp for 27 years).

It was REALLY interesting to have people from New Orleans (OK...N'arlenz !) as well as Benny Napoleon, and Police/EMTs, in the class and hear the first-hand account disaster stories. The purpose of the program is to educate the general public on how to prepare for disasters and how to work along with gov't agencies in cases of emergency. In April I will attend the second phase for futher FEMA certification in disaster response and special needs.

As things progress I'd like to update this thread on how/where/why all of you can better prepare for the safety of your families, and the community, through links and contact info that I'll provide. Hopefully the benefits will be mutual - MORE trained resources FOR the community AND........ more info made available for individuals & families in time of need.

Feel free to post questions and I'll try to answer them with referrals to resources that we can all use.

To this end I'll ask the Mods to make this a sticky.


more later


mahalo

[Gil Martin]

I am the Emergency Management Coordinator for my township. We started C.E.R.T. program training about three years ago. It is a great program and our challenge has been getting community support and attendance. Good post. All the best...
Gil

[redfishman]

Congrat's! This will work in smaller communities where politics and "Turf" wars -lawsuits don't prevail. Community involvement is so important-but ultimate responsiblity for ones safety begins at the individual and family level where values have not been "Governed" away.Close to six months Post Katrina and Rita we have thousands of trailers unused sitting in other states as staging areas-people living in tents- and countless lawsuits with the NIMBY(not in my back yard) attitude.
I do thank the Michigan State Police attachment which was sent during the
early chaos period.Their treatment by local police forces and the media is certainly not representative of the overwhelming majority of good decent hardworking folks in this area!!!

[FIJI]

Start here for Disaster Preparedness and Response info
http://www.ready.gov/


Community Emergency Response Teams (this is the training mentioned in the original post)

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/

GOVERNMENT LINKS

F.E.M.A site
http://www.fema.gov/

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/

FirstGov (The Official Web Portal of the US Federal Government)
http://www.firstgov.gov/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
Residential Shelter-in-Place
http://emc.ornl.gov/CSEPPweb/SIP/SIP.htm

CitizenCorps.gov
http://www.citizencorps.gov/

Department of Education - Emergency Preparedness Plans for Schools
http://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan/

Department of Health and Human Services Disasters and Emergencies
http://www.hhs.gov/disasters/index.shtml

Disaster Help
https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml

Anti-Terror
https://disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtm...&index=0&id=19

Environmental Protection Agency - Emergency Preparedness
http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/emeremer...paredness.html

Federal Citizen Information Center
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/

Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov/

FirstGov for Consumers
http://www.consumer.gov/

Threat Alert System - Information for Citizens
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=29

USA Freedom Corps
http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/

Checklist for familias
http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/checklist.pdf

The Government’s Official Web Portal
http://www.firstgov.gov/


Office of Citizen Services and Communications Overview
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/cha...annelId=-13326


Disaster Help Link
https://www.disasterhelp.gov/portal/jhtml/index.jhtml

National Emergency Number Association
http://www.nena.org/




Hill Street Blues
"Hey, let's be careful out there"

[FIJI]

The Michigan Volunteer Registry is LIVE

The Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP) has officially launched the MI Volunteer Registry. The on-line system is currently taking names and information from willing volunteers prepared to assist in the case of a natural or public health emergency.

Individuals interested in volunteering will indicate their interests and contact information in a secure, electronic environment. Information can then be queried and appropriate volunteers contacted by authorized personnel via e-mail or text pager. Doctors, nurses, behavioral health, emergency medical services personnel, ancillary support staff, and other individuals interested in helping are encouraged to register. Volunteers will also have access to topical information regarding specific events, exercises and drills, or general knowledge and training.

To register go to www.mivolunteerregistry.org.

You may also visit the OPHP Website at www.michigan.gov/ophp for more information.

Additional help is available by contacting help-mivolunteerregistry@michigan.gov or 866-636-6324.

[STEINFISHSKI]

We have been supplying CERT programs with equipment for a couple years now. Contact me and I can get special M-S pricing for your team.

http://www.safetyservicesinc.com/cer...FSdLSQodcx6fWA

[FIJI]

just in time for the New Year

[FIJI]

you have mail

[FIJI]

take a few minutes and check out the link.


Hey...what else does the Gov't give you that is actually valuable....and






FREE ?

[rdwings926]

didn't think i would see a post like this here

i myself am trained in hazwop to the ic level, medic first aid, and for confined space/high angle rescue...

as to being prepaired my favorite story has to do with a class i attended in vancouver bc being led by a nypd emer services cop...as they were training (repelling from a copter onto manhatten high rises) one of the group complained "why are we doing this, we'll never use it" and you gussed it, a year later we had 9-11...

as was said, can never be over prepaired...

[FIJI]

Most people ignore the subject....until its too late


If you have people on your holiday list that you have a hard time finding presents for....... how about setting them up with their own EMERGENCY KIT ??


Hunters/Fisherman/Outdoorspeople.... how about an emergency kit that REALLY WORKS and that YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE ?

PM me for specifics

[FIJI]

I'm on the road for work right now (ArkanSAW at the moment) but the last several days I've been in/around/dodging tornadoes in OK, NE, KS & AR. Quarter sized hail actually knocked the mirror off my work vehicle two days ago

Anyway..the point is that disasters can come looking for YOU at ANY time. Just ask the FEMA inspectors who have been here for a month already and don't expect to go home until October.

Tornado season is just around the corner for Michigan.

Take a First Aid Class
Take a CPR Class
Take a CERT Class....do them as a family.

Think of it as the gift (to yourself and your family) that keeps on giving !

[FIJI]

just in time for (swine+) FLU season


http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/influenza.html



well.....what did you think a disaster actually looks like ???