Welcome to Ojai Valley CERT

IMPORTANT UPDATE.....


THIS WEB-SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.

PLEASE GO TO HTTP://OJAIVALLEYCERT.ORG

This blog provides information to those interested in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) activities in The Ojai Valley, CA. CERT works in partnership with OVARC (Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club) which provides Ham Radio Communications - http://www.ovarc.org/.

http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert is a good place to begin learning about CERT. The fact is, immediately after a major disaster, each of us will be on our own while Emergency Services Personnel (Fire, Hospital, Police, Hospitals, etc) figure out what happened and how to respond. CERT teaches valuable self-preservation skills and empowers each of us to be of service to ourselves, family, neighborhood and community. By integrating CERT with Ham Radio, citizens can effectively communicate actionable information from the field to the Emergency Operations Center -- help will be on the way sooner.

Please check out the CERT Calendar & Map at the bottom of this web-page and sign our Guestbook (top right of page).

Ojai Valley (CERT, Ham Radio, Red Cross)

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Emergency 72 Hour Kit

Emergency 72 Hour Kit
What is an Emergency 72 Hour Kit?
• This is the bag you grab as you go out the door in an emergency “incident” (Earth Quake, Flood, Hurricane etc.) It will help keep you more comfortable until help can finally get to you. It will also help you sleep better knowing you are ready for the incident when it occurs
Considerations
• If Murphy's law prevails when the incident occurs it will be in the dark of night, in the rain, on the coldest night of the year. Plan for that
• There will probably be no..Electricity, gas or water. Plan for that
• Police, fire departments and ambulances may not be able to get to you. Plan for that
• Inspect Kit every six months (batteries, shelf lives etc)

Shelter and Warmth
• "Emergency" space blanket or bag
• 5-Heavy duty plastic trash bags (2.5 mil) (many uses)
• 25' of small gauge rope
• Poncho/ rain suit
• At least one change of clothes
• Gloves
• Hiking shoes/boots
• Hat


Communication equipment
• FRS radio (1 set) with charger/extra batteries
• Hamm Radio with charger/extra batteries (if qualified)
• Transistor or wind up radio
• Cell Phone with charger/extra batteries

Food and Water
• Rotate food and water every six months (or by expiration date)
• One gallon per person per day (2 quarts drinking 2 quarts cooking)
• Iodine water purification tablets
• Canned juices
• Instant coffee/Tea
• Only get food you like, try the food before the incident
• Individual ready-to-eat canned food or
• Freeze dried camping foods (MRE’s, LERPS etc)
• Comfort items ( hard candy, gum, nuts, dried fruits, Trail mix etc,)
• Protein or fruit bars (Cliff bars etc)
• Soup
• Jerky
• Peanut butter
• Dry Cereal
• Crackers
• Sugar, salt, pepper
• Vitamins
Heat, Light, and Signaling
• Waterproof match case
• Waterproof strike-anywhere matches
• Disposable lighter
• whistle on lanyard [beware of metal whistles they freeze to lips in cold]
• Stainless steel double-surface signal mirror
• AA or AAA flashlight with fresh and spare batteries
• AA or AAA headlamp with fresh and spare batteries (you may need both hands)
• Portable cooking device ( Sterno, Coleman etc)
• Light sticks (Cyalume)
Knives and Tools
• Swiss army knife or Leatherman tool
• Wood axe
• Gas shutoff tool
• Can Opener (if not in SAK or Leatherman)
• Something(s) to cook in (Pot/ Pan)
• Knives, fork, spoon, ladle, etc (Mess kits are easiest)
• Re-sealable plastic bags
• Duct tape



First Aid
• Prescription Medications
• First Aide Instruction Booklet
• Triangular bandage
• Flexible fabric band-aids of various sizes
• Hand wipes or hand sterilizer
• Insect repellant
• Sun screen
• Aspirins or Tylenol
• Pepto Bismol / Anti acids
• 5 -3"x3" sterile gauze pads
• 5-4”X4” sterile gauze pads
• 1 roll 2" cling bandage
• decongestant tablets
• Blister pack of throat lozenges
• Neosporin antibiotic ointment
• Extra safety pins
• Scissors
• Thermometer (non mercury non glass)
• Tweezers
• Adhesive cloth tape
• 2 pair sterile gloves
• Instant cold compress
• Burn ointment
• Eye wash solution
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Laxative


General
• Telephone change
• Money at least $50.00 (small bills) (credit card machines probably won’t work)
• Pictures of family, roommates, pets (in case they get separated)
• Extra pair eyeglasses in unbreakable case
• Deck of cards/ small set of checkers etc
• Copies of important docs (wills, birth, marriage certificates etc)
• Copy of important phone numbers



Personal Hygiene
• Disposable razor
• Comb/brush
• toothbrush
• toothpaste
• toilet tissue
• feminine hygiene products
• soap/shampoo


For the Baby
• Formula
• Diapers
• Bottles
• Powdered Milk
• Medications
• Moist Towelettes
• Diaper rash ointment
• Favorite doll or toy


For your Pet
• Food
• Water
• Chew toy
• Medications
• Leash
Use a quality Back-Pack(s) or Duffle(s) to carry all the above
Put an ID on your bag Keep where you can get at it
Keep a light source at the top of the pack, remember Murphy!