Newsletter

Dear Saratoga CERT Member,

Last week the City proclaimed a local emergency as a result of the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). While the City’s Disaster Service Worker Volunteers are not expected to be activated, there are many opportunities to support the response effort. Some of the opportunities to help are listed below. This information is also available on the City of Saratoga website at www.saratoga.ca.us/assistance and the content of this City webpage will be updated as new opportunities become available.

Volunteer Opportunities for CERT Members There are Saratoga community members who need help shopping for groceries, preparing meals, getting medications, or with other essential activities. There are local and countywide organizations offering assistance, and many of these groups need donations and volunteers to help with their efforts.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to give back to the community during this time, please get involved with one of the following: 

Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council/Senior Center is working to meet the needs of older adults while they stay home. There are looking for volunteers to help with their efforts.

West Valley Community Services West Valley Community Services is offering assistance to those who need food, emergency funds, or other critical resources. They are seeking support through donations, volunteers, and community outreach efforts.

Second Harvest Food Bank Second Harvest Food Bank is accepting donations to provide meals to our vulnerable community members. They are also seeking volunteers to help pre-box and distribute food.

Silicon Valley Strong Silicon Valley Strong is a countywide effort to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. You can volunteer or donate to support the relief efforts.

County of Santa Clara Health System You can support the County of Santa Clara Health System by donating funds or supplies. They are currently accepting donations of new supplies for hospital staff, including personal protective equipment, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, and other items.

Blood Donations Right now, the American Red Cross and Stanford Blood Center have a critical need for blood donations. There has been a sharp decline in blood drives, so there is now more need than ever for community members to donate as hospital patients continue to require life-saving donations. Eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment to provide lifesaving blood products for patients.

Disaster Healthcare Volunteers Healthcare providers with an active license and public health professionals can help support response to COVID-19 by registering as a disaster healthcare volunteer with the State of California.

Thank you for your dedication to the well being of our community!

Sincerely,

City of Saratoga

Next Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting

5 March 2020 – 5:30-7:00 PM
Pisani Recreation Portable
13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070

Agenda

• Upcoming training events
• Proposed changes to Saratoga CERT program: validity duration for DSW-V cards and requirement to actively participate in “training events” to maintain active CERT status
• Progress report on program to replace the handheld Floureon M-880 FRS radios with a more capable, longer-range radio for CERT field use

[POSTPONED/CANCELLED] Santa Clara Countywide CERT Skills Day

The Eventbrite registration portal is now available for the upcoming 25 April 2020 Santa Clara Countywide CERT Skills Day, to be held at Mission College in Santa Clara.

https://certskillsday2020.eventbrite.com

This exciting day will be a great opportunity to refresh basic skills and build new ones. You’ll be able to choose 4 class sessions from a list of 8 offered classes:

• Cribbing
• Triage/Medical Operations
• Basic Search & Rescue
• FRS Radio Skills
• Incident Command Systems (ICS)
• Stop the Bleed class
• Emergency Preparedness for People with Access and Functional needs
• Household Pet Emergency Preparedness and First Aid

Timetable:

8:00 check-in, and opportunity to meet CERTs from across the County
9:00 – 1:00 class sessions (1-hour class periods)
1:00 you’re done!

Class descriptions can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vAMkjwBVuTuSVOVeAv9gES3aiTDyjrVVuLhpXGVsZtY/edit

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
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-emergency-response-team-cert-academy-los-altos-hills-tickets-64309301853

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

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

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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

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Next Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting

5 March 2020 – 5:30-7:00 PM

Pisani Recreation Portable

13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070

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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/

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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…

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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

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-bleed-tickets-73818056795?fbclid=IwAR0d8Uk38sLpaEMKUGtvICxCWGN96B2zpZfRs1N758i4qdwFZz7uC-6IG6c

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Saratoga CERT/HAM Quarterly Drill – save the date

Look for inforation from your division leaders.

22 February 2020 – 10-noon

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MARCH ACTIVITIES

Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting

Pisani Recreation Portable

13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070

5 March 2020 – 5:30-7:00 PM

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Los Altos Hills CERT Academy

Los Altos Hills Town Hall

26379 Fremont Road

Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

9 March 2020 – 28 March 2020

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-emergency-response-team-cert-academy-los-altos-hills-tickets-64309301853

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APRIL ACTIVITIES

Campbell CERT: Stop the Bleed Class

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-bleed-tickets-73818056795

15 April 2020

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2020 Santa Clara County CERT Skills Day

Mission College in Santa Clara

25 April 2020

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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/

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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/

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Saratoga CERT: www.saratogacert.org
Saratoga Amateur Radio Association: www.k6sa.net
City of Saratoga Newsletters: www.saratoga.ca.us/subscribe

CERT News

As the new year gets underway, I would like to thank each of you for your dedication and commitment in actively participating in the Saratoga CERT organization. Each of you has “stepped forward,” as a volunteer, to learn critical life-saving skills and be ready – at a moment’s notice – to render invaluable assistance to both our Saratoga friends and neighbors, and the community as a whole. You should be justifiable proud of the critical contributions you are trained, equipped, and prepared to perform in support of our wonderful community.

Secondly, I would like to highlight some of the primary upcoming CERT-related training events for the first half of calendar year 2020 – please pencil them in on your calendar. Also, read on for more CERT news and events.

If you have questions about CERT, ideas for enhancements, training exercises, or anything else, please do get in touch with me at any time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Chuck Rader
City of Saratoga CERT Lead/Volunteer Program Manager
charles_rader@hotmail.com

2020 CERT Events

Planning is currently ongoing for the Countywide CERT Field Training Exercise, scheduled for Saturday, 25 April 2020 at Mission College in Santa Clara. The six core areas for “hands on” training are the following: Search and Rescue, Cribbing, Triage/Medical Operations, Field Radio Skills, Incident Command System and establishing an Incident Command Post, and “Stop the Bleed” training. This year’s exercise will be separate from the Countywide ARES/RACES radio exercise, due to the desire to have all exercise participants focusing on their CERT skillsets. This should serve to remove any conflict for those volunteers who are both CERT members and hams.

Joint Saratoga/Campbell CERT Animal Response and Sheltering Training and Animal Shelter Simulation: Saturday, 02 May 2020 at Saratoga Prospect Center. This will be an all-day event, with lunches provided, to provide FEMA CERT structured curriculum training in the areas of post-disaster assistance in small domesticated animal/pet response and sheltering operations. The morning “sit-down” session will be held in the SPC Grace Building classroom, while the “hands on” animal shelter simulation will be held in the adjacent SPC Friendship Hall building. The training will be provided by the City of Sacramento CERT Animal Response Training Team, headed by Kathy Winkelman. This will be a joint training evolution for both the Saratoga and Campbell CERT organizations.

An American Red Cross Shelter Operations Simulation exercise is currently planned for the first half of 2020 (date undetermined at this time). This will build upon the skills learned by those who have attended previous American Red Cross Shelter Fundamentals, advanced ARC Shelter Management, and ARC Disaster Psychology training classes. This simulation will be a jointly-sponsored event by both the Campbell and Saratoga CERT organizations. The likely venue for the simulation exercise will be the Campbell Community Center at 1 W. Campbell Avenue in the city of Campbell. This exercise will only be open to those who have completed the basic shelter course.

FRS Radio Replacement CERT Working Group

A working group of our Saratoga CERT radio experts is being organized to address identifying a replacement field handheld radio more suitable for neighborhood assessment use than the existing Floureon M-880 FRS radios. This group will be leveraging previous research and decision-making conducted by other CERT organizations here in Santa Clara County, as well as conducting independent research into the various available options. Considerations are: power output/LOS ranges offered by the replacement radio; specific radio capabilities, functionalities and special configurations; any licensing requirements associated with the replacement radio; and pricing/options for procurement. The committee will present its findings and recommendations to both our City of Saratoga Program Sponsor and Saratoga CERT volunteer leadership.

FEMA is Revamping CERT Training

A major revision to nation-wide CERT training programs. Please see the summary blog post from Jeff Walker:
http://saratogacert.org/2020/01/03/fema-updates-to-the-cert-curriculum-now-available/

JANUARY ACTIVITIES

CERT Academy – Campbell
Campbell Community Center
First Class: 14 January 2020
Graduation: 1 February 2020
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-emergency-response-team-cert-academy-campbell-tickets-63570096871

FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES

Ham Cram Class
El Camino Hospital Los Gatos
Conference Center (Rooms 1, 2, 3)
815 Pollard Rd
Los Gatos, CA 95032
8 February 2020
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ham-cram-fcc-amateur-radio-license-in-one-day-tickets-82565145573?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

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/

CERT News

SARA 30th Anniversary Celebration

We want to invite you to the 30th anniversary celebration of the founding of SARA (Saratoga Amateur Radio Association (SARA).

Who:
Saratoga vicinity residents interested in ham radio
Hams, families and friends
CERTs, families and friends
General public

When:
Saturday, December 7, 2019
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where:
Friendship Hall at Prospect Center
19824 Prospect Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Price: Free

Food: Sandwiches, snacks and drinks will be served

Please RSVP with your name, contact info and number of guests to help us plan the food.

Ron Jones
AJ6EG@ARRL.NET or
408 872-1301
Hope to see you and your family there.

Argonaut and Cox Divisions Conduct FRS Radio Functionality and Procedural Training

The Argonaut and Cox CERT Divisions conducted an evening of FRS radio functionality and protocol/usage training at Saratoga Prospect Center on Wednesday, 13 November. Led by Peter Melhus, the focus of the training was how to set up and utilize the Floureon M-880 handheld FRS radio, as well as how to structure FRS radio messages between field users and a dedicated Net Control officer. The difference between directed and non-directed radio nets was fully explained, and attendees were able – at the end of the classroom session – to conduct simulated radio communications using standardized radio procedures and protocol. This included formulating simulated field assessment and incident reports, and sending them via the radio to a simulated Incident Command Post under directed-net conditions. A total of 21 Argonaut and Cox CERT Division members participated in the training event.

December Activities

Free ICS 400 Class

December 2019 — Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ics-400-advanced-incident-command-system-complex-incident-training-tickets-18942771339

SARA Anniversary Celebration

December 7 – see http://saratogacert.org/2019/11/29/sara-30th-anniversary-celebration/

January Activities

CERT Academy – Campbell

Campbell Community Center
First Class: January 14, 2020
Graduation: February 1, 2020

General Information

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b)

Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources.

News

Charles Rader is taking over as lead of Saratoga CERT – see Minutes of the October CERT Membership Meeting – https://saratogacert.org/2019/11/01/saratoga-cert-minutes-october-2019-membership-meeting/ and a new CERT organization chart at http://saratogacert.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/org-chart-110119.pdf

Why you can’t reliably make cell phone calls during a power outage – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/29/why-you-cant-always-make-cellular-calls-from-the-san-jose-mercury-news/

Cox Division will be holding their next divisional meeting on Wednesday evening, 13 November 2019, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Saratoga Prospect Center Grace Building classroom. The focus of the meeting will be on CERT communications. This communications training will comprise both instructional (“classroom”) training and simulated radio transmission drills. Attendees will be requested to bring both their CERT Academy (FEMA) training binder and their city-issued Fluoreon M-880 handheld FRS radios. Folks from any of the other divisions or at-large members are welcome to attend the meeting.

November Events

Red Cross Basic First Aid Class (no CPR) – November 6 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/campbell-cert-classes-first-aid-no-cpr-and-stop-the-bleed/

Stop the Bleed Class – November 13 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/campbell-cert-classes-first-aid-no-cpr-and-stop-the-bleed/

CERT Refresher: Communication and Documentation – November 14 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cert-refresher-communications-documentation-tickets-50501145285

Ham Cram Class – November 23 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ham-cram-fcc-amateur-radio-license-in-one-day-tickets-53713917774

December Events

Free ICS 400 Class – December 2019 — Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ics-400-advanced-incident-command-system-complex-incident-training-tickets-18942771339

Save the Date: SARA Anniversary – December 7 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/save-the-date-sara-anniversary-december-7th/

General Information

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b) — Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources – https://saratogacert.org/documents/

News:

Campbell CERT Announces New Classes: First Aid (no CPR) and Stop the Bleed – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/campbell-cert-classes-first-aid-no-cpr-and-stop-the-bleed/

City of Saratoga asks “Are you Ready?” – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/are-you-ready-saratoga-from-city-of-saratoga-september-newsletter/

Report on September Santa Clara County ARES/RACES Drill – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/report-santa-clara-county-annual-ares-races-drill-from-peter-melhus/

Report on September CERT Academy – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/cupertino-cert-academy-report-from-jeff-walker/

Launch of 9-1-1 texting services throughout Santa Clara County – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/from-santa-clara-county-supervisor-mike-wasserman-911-texting-services/

Save the Date: SARA Anniversary – December 7 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/save-the-date-sara-anniversary-december-7th/

October Events:

Shelter Fundamentals – October 10 and 16 – San Jose – https://saratogacert.org/2019/09/02/shelter-fundamentals-courses-in-october/

CERT Refresher: Basic Search and Rescue Methods – October 16 – Saratoga – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cert-refresher-basic-search-rescue-methods-tickets-50501095135

Saratoga CERT Membership Meeting – Thursday, October 24, 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Recreation Portable, Joan Pisani Community Center19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070 – Agenda to be announced

November Events:

Red Cross Basic First Aid Class (no CPR) – November 6 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/campbell-cert-classes-first-aid-no-cpr-and-stop-the-bleed/

Stop the Bleed Class – November 13 – https://saratogacert.org/2019/10/06/campbell-cert-classes-first-aid-no-cpr-and-stop-the-bleed/

CERT Refresher: Communication and Documentation – November 14 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cert-refresher-communications-documentation-tickets-50501145285

Ham Cram Class – November 23 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ham-cram-fcc-amateur-radio-license-in-one-day-tickets-53713917774

General Information:

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b) — Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources – https://saratogacert.org/documents/

Free ICS 400 Class – December 2019 — Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ics-400-advanced-incident-command-system-complex-incident-training-tickets-18942771339

NEWS 

SARA/Saratoga CERT Picnic summary and pictures: https://saratogacert.org/2019/08/23/first-annual-sara-cert-family-picnic/ and https://saratogacert.org/2019/08/27/cert-sara-picnic-a-great-success/ 

Peter Melhus and Jeff Walker are now Saratoga Assistant Emergency Coordinators as part of SARA and the SCC ARES/RACES.  Peter Commandeur will be the communications lead for Quito/West Valley Division – see updated Saratoga CERT Org Chart at http://saratogacert.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/org-chart-082419.pdf – welcome and congratulations to all! 

New Red Cross Shelter Fundamentals Courses offered in October: https://saratogacert.org/2019/09/02/shelter-fundamentals-courses-in-october/  

SEPTEMBER EVENTS 

Santa Clara County Refresher Course – Fire Safety and Utility Hazard– September 19 – Los Gatos – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cert-refresher-fire-safety-utility-hazard-tickets-50501037964

Saratoga CERT General Membership Meeting – Thursday, September 26 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Recreation Portable, Joan Pisani Community Center19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070

Santa Clara Countywide Communications Exercise – Saturday, September 28, 2019 – 08:00 am until 02:00 pm – Edith Morley Park, 615 Campbell Technology Pkwy, Campbell, CA – Contact: Ron Jones AJ6EG — 408 316-0854 — ron.jones@n-ablegroup.com   

OCTOBER EVENTS 

Shelter Fundamentals – October 10 and 16 – San Jose – https://saratogacert.org/2019/09/02/shelter-fundamentals-courses-in-october/

CERT Refresher: Basic Search and Rescue Methods – October 16 – Saratoga – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cert-refresher-basic-search-rescue-methods-tickets-50501095135  

NEW RESOURCES 

PG&E has a 7 day Public Safety Power Shutoff forecast web page.  See https://www.scc-ares-races.org/links.html#utilities  

Saratoga FAQ sheet – https://tinyurl.com/SARATOGAFAQ    

GENERAL INFOFRMATION

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b) — Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources – https://saratogacert.org/documents/

Free ICS 400 Class – December 2019 — Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28 – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ics-400-advanced-incident-command-system-complex-incident-training-tickets-18942771339

NEWS

1. There will be NO general Saratoga CERT membership meeting in July – the next general membership meeting will be in September. There will be a CERT Leadership meeting on July 25th (details below) to discuss plans and budgets and the like – regular CERT members are welcome to attend.

2. New Disaster Service Worker (DSW) card process –everyonewithout a card or with an old card should follow the new process:

Crystal Bothelio in the Saratoga City Manager’s Office is responsible for issuing DSW cards. You can make an appointment to get your photo ID taken by contacting her at cbothelio@saratoga.ca.usor 408-868-1269. Alternatively, photos that meet the following criteria can be emailed to her. Once created, the ID card can be mailed to you or picked up from City Hall at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga during regular business hours.The new cards will carry no expiration date.

ID Photo Criteria: Photo shows your full face Photo should be taken with shoulders and face directly positioned towards the camera (do not angle your face or body and no selfies) Photo should be clear and well lit (without shadows obscuring your face)Use a neutral, plain, and solid colored background for the photo (such as a wall)Do not digitally alter the photo (no filters).

3. Saratoga Car Show Signups – we especially need help for the afternoon slots! 

One of the most enjoyable and historical events in Saratoga, the Saratoga Classic Car Show, is happening July 28th. This event draws thousands of people and is a prime opportunity to be in the booth to give out CERT flyers and minor first aid. The CERT booth will be located next to the Chamber of Commerce office in downtown Saratoga. Available shifts are listed below. Please contact Jessica Fullmer at jhfullmer@sustainablebusiness.orgor by text at 408-348-3201 to let her know which shift you can volunteer for.

Set Up 8:30-9:30; Booth 9:30-1:00; Booth 1:00-4:00; Tear Down 4:00-5:00 – We especially need help with Set-up and Tear down (and at least one person in each of those shifts that have key access to the CorpYardBase CERT trailer).

4. Saratoga CERT/SARA Ham Joint Picnic – Saturday, August 17th – 12:00 noon until 4:00 pm
Sponsors: Saratoga Amateur Radio Association (SARA) & Saratoga CERTInvitees: Saratoga area ham operators and their families & Saratoga area CERT members and their familiesWhere: Warner Hutton House, 13777 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070Contact: Ron Jones AJ6EG — 408 316-0854 — ron.jones@n-ablegroup.com

5. PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff Program – As part of PG&E’s efforts to reduce wildfire risk, PG&E has announced their Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. PG&E is expected to shut off power on days with a high risk of wildfire, and they suggest preparing for outages that could last longer than two days. Outages can impact any PG&E customer, regardless of whether they live in a high fire-threat area. Visitwww.saratoga.ca.us/PSPSto learn what you can expect and how to prepare. For additional wildfire preparedness tips, visit www.sccfd.org/rsg

JULY EVENTS

CERT Leadership Team Meeting – Thursday, July 25 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Recreation Portable, Joan Pisani Community Center19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070

CERT @ Saratoga Car Show – Sunday, July 28. Contact Jessica Fullmer to volunteer

AUGUST EVENTS

CERT/SARA Picnic – Saturday, Aug. 17 – 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Warner Hutton House, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga CA 95070. Contact Ron Jones or Jessica Fullmer for details or to volunteer

Ham Cram (Amateur Radio Technician Class Course and Test) Saturday, Aug. 24 – 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. – 15900 Los Gatos Boulevard, Los Gatos Details & Registration – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ham-cram-fcc-amateur-radio-license-in-one-day-tickets-53778356512

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Santa Clara County Refresher Course – Fire Safety and Utility Hazard– September 19 – Los Gatos

CERT General Membership Meeting – Thursday, September 26 – 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Recreation Portable, Joan Pisani Community Center19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070

Santa Clara Countywide Communications Exercise – Saturday, September 28, 2019 – 08:00 am until 02:00 pm – Edith Morley Park, 615 Campbell Technology Pkwy, Campbell, CA – Contact: Ron Jones AJ6EG — 408 316-0854 — ron.jones@n-ablegroup.com

GENERAL INFOFRMATION

FRS Radio Quick Setup Guide — Check out the Quick Setup Guide for FRS radioscreated by Peter.

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b) — Visit the Saratoga CERT Resourcespage for ICS and NIMS course material and resources.

Free ICS 400 Class – December 2019 — Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28

CERT Yahoo Group — Join the Saratoga CERT Yahoo Groupto get announcements and information sent directly by Saratoga CERT members

June Activities

CERT Refresher – Haz Mat & Terrorism Awareness

Tuesday, June 4 | 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Quinlan Community Center, 10185 North Stelling Road, Cupertino 95014

Details & Registration

CERT Refresher – Damage Assessment

Thursday, June 20 | 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Saratoga Prospect Center, Grace Building, 19848 Prospect Road, Saratoga 95070

Details & Registration

American Red Cross Shelter Simulation

Saturday, June 22 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Joan Pisani Community Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070

12 to 15 CERT members that have completed American Red Cross Shelter Fundamentals are needed. Contact Charles Rader or visit CERT website for more information

CERT News

New Disaster Service Worker (DSW) Card Procedure 

We all know that the “every other Friday afternoon” process for getting DSW cards was difficult for most of us. Going forward, Crystal Bothelio in the Saratoga City Manager’s Office will be responsible for issuing DSW cards. You can make an appointment to get your photo ID taken by contacting her at cbothelio@saratoga.ca.us or 408-868-1269.

Alternatively, photos that meet the following criteria can be emailed to her. Once created, the ID card can be mailed to you or picked up from City Hall at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga during regular business hours.

ID Photo Criteria: Photo shows your full face Photo should be taken with shoulders and face directly positioned towards the camera (do not angle your face or body and no selfies) Photo should be clear and well lit (without shadows obscuring your face)Use a neutral, plain, and solid colored background for the photo (such as a wall)Do not digitally alter the photo (no filters)   

The new cards will carry no expiration date.  

Volunteers Needed for CERT Participation at the Saratoga Car Show

One of the most enjoyable and historical events in Saratoga, the Saratoga Classic Car Show, is happening July 28th. This event draws thousands of people and is a prime opportunity to be in the booth to give out CERT flyers and minor first aid. The CERT booth will be located next to the Chamber of Commerce office in downtown Saratoga. 

Available shifts are listed below. Please contact Jessica Fullmer at jhfullmer@sustainablebusiness.orgor by text at 408-348-3201 to let her know which shift you can volunteer for.

Set Up 8:30-9:30; Booth 9:30-1:00; Booth 1:00-4:00; Tear Down 4:00-5:00 – We especially need help with Set-up and Tear down (and at least one person in each of those shifts that have key access to the CorpYardBase CERT trailer).

Successful CERT Academy

We had 14 Saratoga residents graduate in the June Academy. Plus, 4 more who attended but need to complete one or more sessions. To all our new members: WELCOME to Saratoga CERT! If any of you need equipment, please contact Craig Pietrow. To get your DSW card (see above), contact Crystal Bothelio. 

Updated Saratoga CERT Org Chart

Please check out the Saratoga CERT website to view the updated org chart. Note that we have staffed all the divisional lead logistics roles and are starting to fill out the divisional communication roles.However, there are still of lot of posts that need volunteers – most need no prior experience. Contact your division lead or Brent Hailpern to help out. We need your help to keep Saratoga CERT running and improving. In addition, many parts of the City are not yet covered by divisions. We are looking for volunteers to create and lead new divisions as well. View the current division map on the Saratoga CERT website.

July/August Activities

CERT Membership Meeting

Thursday, July 25 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Recreation Portable, Joan Pisani Community Center19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga 95070

CERT @ Saratoga Car Show

Sunday, July 28. Contact Jessica Fullmer to volunteer

CERT/SARA Picnic 

Saturday, Aug. 3 or Saturday, Aug. 17 (TBD) 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Warner Hutton House, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga CA 95070. Contact Ron Jones or Jessica Fullmer for details or to volunteer

Santa Clara County Quarterly Ham Drill

Saturday, Aug. 17 | 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Details

Ham Cram (Amateur Radio Technician Class Course and Test) Saturday, Aug. 24 | 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.15900 Los Gatos Boulevard, Los Gatos Details & Registration

May Minutes

Saratoga CERT

Cox Division

General Information

RS Radio Quick Setup Guide

Check out the Quick Setup Guide for FRS radios created by Peter.

Online ICS and NIMS Classes (100.c & 700.b)

Visit the Saratoga CERT Resources page for ICS and NIMS course material and resources.

Free ICS 400 Class – December 2019

Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Management is holding a free ICS 400 class on December 3 and 4. This class can be difficult to find locally. Register by November 28.

CERT Yahoo Group

Join the Saratoga CERT Yahoo Group to get announcements and information sent directly by Saratoga CERT members