CERT NEWS
Mark your calendars for the primary CERT skills training event of the year. On Saturday, April 25, 2020, the various Santa Clara County city CERT organizations will be hosting the 2020 Santa Clara County CERT Skills Day at Mission College in Santa Clara. The event is currently planned to run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be skills stations and informational classroom training on the following topics:
(1) Cribbing and Levering
(2) Triage / CERT Field Medical Operations
(3) CERT Search and Rescue
(4) CERT Radio Skills
(5) Incident Command System / Establishing and Staffing a CERT Incident Command Post
(6) Stop the Bleed
(7) CERT Preparedness and Response for Access and Functional Needs Community Members
(8) Household Pets Emergency Preparedness
CERT members will be afforded the opportunity to select/register for the training and skills stations they would like to participate in. Further information on the event will be published on the Saratoga CERT website as it becomes available. There will be a sign-up website set up for those who want to participate.
Chuck Rader
City of Saratoga CERT Lead/Volunteer Program Manager
charles_rader@hotmail.com
Saratoga CERT/HAM Quarterly Drill
The Saratoga CERT divisions will host a short drill on 22 February 2020 from 10 AM to noon.
If you are able to participate, you will be asked by your division leads to assemble at an assigned location with your gear, practice some skills that would be useful during a potential emergency after an earthquake, and help the division measure the effectiveness of some new radios. Your division leads will communicate the details to you soon.
If you are not part of one of the CERT divisions, please feel free to contact one of the division leads and offer to help out. http://saratogacert.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/org-chart-110119.pdf
Next Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting
5 March 2020 – 5:30-7:00 PM
Pisani Recreation Portable
13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
FRS Radio Replacement CERT Working Group
A working group of Saratoga hams met with Crystal and Charles during January to examine problems that the Saratoga CERT division have had with FRS radios and to propose solutions. The FRS radios have two problems: (1) FRS is intended to be a short-distance and low-power radio service with coverage of no more than a mile, and (2) our particular FRS radios are cheap and probably do not live up to that modest coverage goal. Read more at http://saratogacert.org/2020/01/29/saratoga-cert-working-group-on-frs-radios/
From FEMA: Updates to CERT Supplemental Materials
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) play a vital role assisting local authorities during response and recovery activities. Because of the required cross-training, CERTs can fill gaps or act as additional resources by learning about topics such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Additional training is also available to CERT members, ranging from Tools for Leadership Success to Animal Response (Module 1, Module 2). These trainings have given CERT members other opportunities to help their communities.
In fact, CERT Animal Response Teams have played important roles in recent wildfires. Read more…
FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES
Campbell CERT: Stop the Bleed Class
Just as CPR saves lives, so does knowing how to stop a life threatening bleed (think trauma, mass shooter, bombing, etc.). This 90-minute class trains bystanders to become educated, equipped, and empowered to assist in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. Certificates will be awarded to all participants completing the training. No medical background necessary.
11 February 2020
Saratoga CERT/HAM Quarterly Drill – save the date
Look for inforation from your division leaders.
22 February 2020 – 10-noon
MARCH ACTIVITIES
Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting
Pisani Recreation Portable
13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
5 March 2020 – 5:30-7:00 PM
Los Altos Hills CERT Academy
Los Altos Hills Town Hall
26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
9 March 2020 – 28 March 2020
APRIL ACTIVITIES
Campbell CERT: Stop the Bleed Class
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-bleed-tickets-73818056795
15 April 2020
2020 Santa Clara County CERT Skills Day
Mission College in Santa Clara
25 April 2020
GENERAL INFORMATION
Do you have a current Saratoga Disaster Service Worker (DSW) Card?
Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for instructions.
http://saratogacert.org/documents/
Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b)
Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources.
http://saratogacert.org/documents/
Saratoga CERT: www.saratogacert.org
Saratoga Amateur Radio Association: www.k6sa.net
City of Saratoga Newsletters: www.saratoga.ca.us/subscribe