It's on again!!!
The Ojai OK Drill is set for Wednesday, October 14th, starting at 7PM. Counting completes by 8PM with a radio communication completed by 8:30PM. Our goal last year was 250 and we counted 700. This year, the goal is 1400 signs counted.
Please go to: http://okdrill.blogspot.com for more details. Twitter: OKDRILL
If you are a member of CERT and are needing clarification, or to be put in touch with your local coordinator, please reach out to me.
Paul Garth
mrpaulgarth@gmail.com
Friday, July 31, 2009
Head of FEMA commenting on Personal Preparedness
FEMA Head Says Personal Preparedness “Must Be National Priority”; Requires “Considerable National Attention” — “Every Elected And Appointed Official At Every Level of Government Must Make It A Priority”
Pretty clear directive from head of FEMA -- Craig Fugate.
http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2009/07/28/fema-head-says-personal-preparedness-must-be-national-priority-requires-considerable-national-attention-every-elected-and-appointed-official-at-every-level-of-government-must-make-it-a-p/
Pretty clear directive from head of FEMA -- Craig Fugate.
http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2009/07/28/fema-head-says-personal-preparedness-must-be-national-priority-requires-considerable-national-attention-every-elected-and-appointed-official-at-every-level-of-government-must-make-it-a-p/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Great Southern California Shakeout (Oct 15th)
Get Ready to ShakeOut!
At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, millions of Californians will “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in The Great California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill ever!
Now is the best time to register, so that you have time to plan your drill. If you participated in the 2008 drill, we hope that you will register again to practice how to be safe during earthquakes, improve your disaster plans, and get prepared. To see which organizations are already participating in your area, visit your county’s web page on http://www.shakeout.org.
Over 5.4 million southern Californians participated in the 2008 ShakeOut. As a statewide drill in 2009, this number could be doubled! But we can only count you as a part of the ShakeOut if you register at www.shakeout.org/register. As of July 15th, nearly 2.7 million participants are registered statewide.
There are many ways to participate in the ShakeOut in 2009. At the least, plan a "drop, cover, and hold on" drill involving everyone in your organization or business. Or you can exercise your full emergency plan. The updated ShakeOut.org is the central source of information for how to participate, regional earthquake hazards, and local events, news, and participant lists for all California counties.
Everyone can participate! Individuals, families, businesses, schools, government agencies and organizations are all invited to register. Your involvement in the ShakeOut insprires many others to register and hold their own drills. Please encourage others to follow your lead.
If you were a registered participant in 2008, you can log in with your access code and simply update your information. You can request your access code if you have forgotten it.
Register today at http://www.shakeout.org!
At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, millions of Californians will “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in The Great California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill ever!
Now is the best time to register, so that you have time to plan your drill. If you participated in the 2008 drill, we hope that you will register again to practice how to be safe during earthquakes, improve your disaster plans, and get prepared. To see which organizations are already participating in your area, visit your county’s web page on http://www.shakeout.org.
Over 5.4 million southern Californians participated in the 2008 ShakeOut. As a statewide drill in 2009, this number could be doubled! But we can only count you as a part of the ShakeOut if you register at www.shakeout.org/register. As of July 15th, nearly 2.7 million participants are registered statewide.
There are many ways to participate in the ShakeOut in 2009. At the least, plan a "drop, cover, and hold on" drill involving everyone in your organization or business. Or you can exercise your full emergency plan. The updated ShakeOut.org is the central source of information for how to participate, regional earthquake hazards, and local events, news, and participant lists for all California counties.
Everyone can participate! Individuals, families, businesses, schools, government agencies and organizations are all invited to register. Your involvement in the ShakeOut insprires many others to register and hold their own drills. Please encourage others to follow your lead.
If you were a registered participant in 2008, you can log in with your access code and simply update your information. You can request your access code if you have forgotten it.
Register today at http://www.shakeout.org!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
VCFD web-site with slick CERT info & video
Take a look at the Ventura County Fire Department web-site. It's displaying a loop of the "People Like You" CERT DVD.
http://fire.countyofventura.org/Default.aspx?TabId=67
http://fire.countyofventura.org/Default.aspx?TabId=67
Sunday, July 12, 2009
CERT Supplies - Online Store
At the recent July 4th Ojai Parade, one of our CERT members was sporting a CERT ballcap and t-shirt.
Checkout http://www.cert-kits.com/ for more details.
Checkout http://www.cert-kits.com/ for more details.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Ojai Valley CERT marches in Ojai July 4th Parade -- and wins a prize!
(Photo Courtesy of Steve Adams)
The Ojai Valley CERT marched in Ojai's July 4th Parade, in series with Ojai Valley Amateur Radio Club and American Red Cross. Everybody had a great time and the numbers were a noticeable increase from last year. We found that twirling the Neighborhood banners was a crowd pleaser, so will continue efforts next year with CERT pom poms. Along with an increase in marchers, we also proudly towed the City of Ojai's Mass Casualty Unit Trailer.
I had placed our entry this year for judging, and... WE WON!!! First Place Category Winners Section (Marching/Walking).
Thank you to all who participated and cheered us on.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
President Obama message about Personal Responsibility
Interesting comments from our President on personal responsibility needed in preparation for any disaster.
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Posted on Fri, May. 29, 2009
Obama: Hurricane readiness is residents' responsibility
Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Ahead of Monday's official start of the hurricane season, President Barack Obama urged Americans in vulnerable areas to take responsibility for their own safety and to get ready now.
He said all Americans should make plans now for how they'd handle an emergency, and to have a ready stock of non-perishable food, water, first aid kits and radios.
Obama said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the federal government is determined to be ready for an emergency. However, he stressed that the first responsibility falls with individuals, and then with the state governments.
"We just saw some statistics coming out of Florida indicating that a huge percentage of people in hurricane areas simply don't make plans. They don't have a plan, they don't have a set of contingencies that will allow them to respond in an effective way," Obama said.
He said those who can prepare themselves should do so now, lest they burden the government during an emergency and distract it from helping those who can't help themselves.
"I hope that message of personal responsibility sinks in," he said.
Obama was among the many Democrats who criticized the response of the federal government to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, particularly the response by FEMA and its former administrator, Michael Brown, who had little disaster management experience. President George W. Bush at first praised Brown with his now famous comment, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," then later fired him.
After a briefing at the National Response Coordination Center, Obama praised newly installed FEMA chief Craig Fugate, a Florida emergency response veteran.
"We've welcomed Craig Fugate, who has hit the ground running and is already doing an outstanding job not just leading this briefing but leading this excellent agency," Obama said.
At the White House, officials stressed that Americans who've moved since the last hurricanes into areas such as Florida probably don't know how to get ready or what to expect.
"Areas that have been hit recently actually tend to be more responsive to this," said Louis Uccellini, director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.
"We are particularly concerned for areas where there's been a tremendous population growth and have not experienced a hurricane, where these people do not really fully comprehend or understand the types of dangers that face them."
Thanks to steady migration to cities in Florida and up the East Coast, he said, nearly 50 percent of the population hasn't experienced a hurricane.
He urged all Americans to check a government Web site, www.ready.gov, that is tailored to local areas for tips on how to prepare.
"Waiting 24 hours before a landfall is too late. It's too late for making plans and in many cases it's too late to even evacuate," he said.
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Posted on Fri, May. 29, 2009
Obama: Hurricane readiness is residents' responsibility
Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Ahead of Monday's official start of the hurricane season, President Barack Obama urged Americans in vulnerable areas to take responsibility for their own safety and to get ready now.
He said all Americans should make plans now for how they'd handle an emergency, and to have a ready stock of non-perishable food, water, first aid kits and radios.
Obama said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the federal government is determined to be ready for an emergency. However, he stressed that the first responsibility falls with individuals, and then with the state governments.
"We just saw some statistics coming out of Florida indicating that a huge percentage of people in hurricane areas simply don't make plans. They don't have a plan, they don't have a set of contingencies that will allow them to respond in an effective way," Obama said.
He said those who can prepare themselves should do so now, lest they burden the government during an emergency and distract it from helping those who can't help themselves.
"I hope that message of personal responsibility sinks in," he said.
Obama was among the many Democrats who criticized the response of the federal government to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, particularly the response by FEMA and its former administrator, Michael Brown, who had little disaster management experience. President George W. Bush at first praised Brown with his now famous comment, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job," then later fired him.
After a briefing at the National Response Coordination Center, Obama praised newly installed FEMA chief Craig Fugate, a Florida emergency response veteran.
"We've welcomed Craig Fugate, who has hit the ground running and is already doing an outstanding job not just leading this briefing but leading this excellent agency," Obama said.
At the White House, officials stressed that Americans who've moved since the last hurricanes into areas such as Florida probably don't know how to get ready or what to expect.
"Areas that have been hit recently actually tend to be more responsive to this," said Louis Uccellini, director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.
"We are particularly concerned for areas where there's been a tremendous population growth and have not experienced a hurricane, where these people do not really fully comprehend or understand the types of dangers that face them."
Thanks to steady migration to cities in Florida and up the East Coast, he said, nearly 50 percent of the population hasn't experienced a hurricane.
He urged all Americans to check a government Web site, www.ready.gov, that is tailored to local areas for tips on how to prepare.
"Waiting 24 hours before a landfall is too late. It's too late for making plans and in many cases it's too late to even evacuate," he said.
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