We finally met IN PERSON at the cache on a cool September 1 evening.  We dragged out the NEW orange box, a solar-powered battery for use primarily with radios.  It has several connections: the power pole, USB devices and a car lighter.  We also assembled the 4 hands-free hand washing stations (3 are of 1 design, the 4th of an earlier design).  The attached photos show the stations in operation.  Note that in an actual cache setup, the bucket will be on a table.  It was hard for one person to wash hands while kneeling on the ground and trying to pump the water.  It is normally a 1-person operation.

Next meeting will be October 6 at 7 p.m. either by Zoom or at the Mormon church.  It will be too cold and dark to meet at the cache – well, too dark anyway!

Hello Northgate area CERTs.
Remember that our monthly meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday evening March 6 @ 7PM at the Mormon Church at 100 Northgate Rd.
We will work on drill planning and we need all the help we can get to host the drill. Please join us. I will send out a list of the volunteers and victim roles needed for the drill. Please do let me know if you’d like to help with training. We will refresh hands on skills with our trainers as needed at the classes so don’t worry if your CERT skills are rusty.
Last month we reviewed the SAR team search markings. Lucky that we did since we found errors in the training materials. Updated materials are posted on the Training web page at the links below. Please review the search marking examples to refresh your skills at home.

Unit 5 Light Search and Rescue Operations

• slides [PDF] – 3 slides per page, 6 slides per page
• slides [Powerpoint]
  
• videos – all video URLs are embedded in slides
• homework – practice search markings for FTMF scenarios 1 – 7 (see scenarios in Unit 5a below)
• homework – scenarios 8 – 10 for search marking examples 8 – 10
• example scenarios with FTMFs

Notes from the February meeting – thanks to Patricia Goglia – 

Format of meeting was city news, general info and questions then chair’s presentation.

·       Dale Blodgett discussed the new format of Walnut Creek CERT meeting. On odd numbered months (Jan, Mar, May Jul, Sept, Nov) each CERT area will hold a meeting in their respective for the group’s members. On even numbered months (Apr, Jun, Aug. Oct Dec) all Walnut Creek CERT area will meet together at City Hall. Further information will be released.

·       There will be a Walnut Creek city-wide CERT meeting in March. Further information to follow.

Dale Blodgett led the group in reviewing CERT Search X markings and Safe procedures.

Thank you to NG CERTs who volunteered on Sunday Jan 27 2019 at the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council Emergency Preparedness – Don Freehan, Donna Freehan, Shirley Frederickson, Patricia Goglia and Joyce Steingass. Also thanks to Dale Blodgett for preparing and delivering the handouts used at the fair. Presentations were given by Red Cross, City of Concord, Country Emergency Services, and Ready Care (Lisa Katzki, Buena Vista CERT). We received an electronic copy of the presentations.

The Spring 2019 CERT basic Training classes are on Friday & Saturdays – April 12, 13, 27. 

NG CERT area will host the Spring graduation drill on Saturday May 11 2019. We need all hands on deck. The drill is a fun and educational activity.

Hello Northgate CERTs. 
Please join us next week on Wednesday evening February 6 @ 7PM at the Mormon Church at 100 Northgate Rd.
SAVE THE DATE – Saturday May 11 – NG CERT area will host the Spring graduation drill. We need support from all our CERTs!
At the meeting next week we will refresh our SAR skills by reviewing search X markings and safe procedures, then quickly searching for victims inside the building. Please come help us! To play along at home, draw the X marking for these practice search markings – http://www.walnut-creek.org/home/showdocument?id=12923 and for the FTMFs examples here – http://www.walnut-creek.org/home/showdocument?id=18877

Some of the projects in need of volunteers – thanks to volunteers at the Jan. meeting, some projects are covered, as noted:

1. SAR route maps – create maps for both sides of Walnut Ave. and create a map index by outlining the SAR route areas on 4ft x 4ft NG-wide map for the CP. Patricia Goglia
2. Med Ops protocols – review existing protocol docs & update as needed. The Med Ops Guidelines doc definitely needs updates.
3. T-cards & board – need to design & implement prototype T-card holder board to replace the board made from vent covers that is awkward to use. Ian McGowan
4. Just-in-tiime training materials – ongoing project to create flash cards or similar training aids for quickly refreshing skills for SAR teams before deployment in disaster response. Joyce Steingass
5. Volunteer ‘thata way’ signs – we have metal frames and sign boards that need to be painted to point the way to the volunteer signup area during disaster response. Eagle Scout project

Butte County Recovers is still in need of volunteers. Please let me know if you are interested.
A plea to NG CERTs whose DSW registration expired at the end of 2018 – please participate in an approved activity to renew your DSW during the 2 month grace period!! We have 52 NG CERT members so everyone is needed. Remember that NG CERT area will host the Spring graduation drill and we need all hands on deck. The drill is a fun and educational activity. 
Spring classes in April – we always need help with the CERT basic training classes. Please help out and refresh your training while you’re there. This qualifies for DSW registration renewal for 2 more years. We need help with timekeeping at the classes, hands on training, setup and teardown of classroom space, and sign-in table. Or just join us to audit classes for free.Class schedule is here – http://www.walnut-creek.org/home/showdocument?id=19529

Lamorinda CERT has an interesting meeting in February – 
February 11, 2019: Evacuation from Wildfires – Chief Dave Winnacker, MOFD
https://lamorindacert.org/monthly-meetings/
You are welcome to attend, to sign up for any meeting go to the the link above, then find link to send email to their registrar with your name and phone number.

Upcoming CERT classes and events for 2019:

• Spring 2019 CERT Basic Training classes on Friday & Saturdays – April 12, 13, 27 
• Spring 2019 CERT graduation drill, Saturday May 11  – NG CERT will host the drill!
• Amateur (HAM) radio license test cram, Saturday June 1.
• Amateur (HAM) radio Getting-On-The-Air classes 1 & 2 – June 12 & July 10, 6:30PM – 9PM.
• Amateur (HAM) radio license test cram, Saturday October 5.
• Amateur (HAM) radio Getting-On-The-Air classes 1 & 2 – October 9 & November 6, 6:30PM – 9PM.
• Disaster Medical Hands On class – continuing education – Saturday November 2.

The next meeting of Northgate CERT is next week, on Wednesday November 7th at the LDS Church at 100 Northgate Road Walnut Creek CA 94598 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
Door Prize – We are pleased to announce a lucky person attending this meeting will win a prize – an emergency toilet bucket (or another emergency supplies if you already have a bucket). Thank you to Beth Smith and other CERT volunteers who helped the county assemble and distribute emergency supplies buckets for a Senior Citizens forum. In gratitude for CERT support we received the surplus emergency supplies!

You are the Help Until Help Arrives Training
FEMA released a new 3-hour training called “You are the Help Until Help Arrives” last year.  This class focuses on teaching participants 5 key steps that can save a life during an emergency:

• Call 9-1-1
• Stay Safe
• Stop the Bleeding
• Position the Injured
• Provide Comfort

You can download the training materials here: https://community.fema.gov/until-help-arrives.  This class was delivered at the National CERT Conference in Florida and had great reviews. 

A big THANK YOU to the NG CERTs who volunteered for Community Service Day – Dale Blodgett, Judy Dommer, Donna Feehan, Don Feehan, Judy McCahon, Andy Schneit, & Beth Smith. Special thanks to Donna and Don for managing the NG teams and distribution materials! And thank you to Patricia Goglia for marking maps & laying out the efficient routes for teams to follow in the NG area.

Anyone with orders and checks for the See’s Candy fundraiser may drop off at this meeting. 

At this meeting we will refresh our CERT triage skills using the triage homework from the Basic training Med Ops class.  To refresh your triage skills at home, download this pdf version of the homework.

Upcoming events:

• See’s Candy Fundraiser – orders & payments due to Amanda Feher by November 7.
• “HAM CRAM” FCC radio licensing class Nov 3, 2018 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM Hillside Clubhouse (Rossmoor), Vista Room 3400m Golden Rain Rd Walnut Creek CA. Get your FCC HAM radio license in 1 day. Student fee is $35 payable at the door. It includes all study material, FCC Exam fee and license fee, free additional re-testing, plus coffee and juice, breakfast, pizza or hoagie lunch with refreshments. Pre-registration is required at https://sites.google.com/site/wccerthams 

Notes from October NG General Meeting – 
We discussed the upcoming Community Service Day on Saturday October 13, 2018. This countywide Emergency Planning Outreach to Care Facilities Project will use volunteers to distribute information to the care facilities in each CERT area. 

Unfortunately the Oct. 2018 Training and its Graduation Drill have been cancelled due to low enrollment. Registration for the Spring 2019 classes is open at <walnut-creek.org/cert>
Amanda Feher discussed the See’s Candy CERT 2018 Winter Fundraising. 

A big THANK YOU to the NG CERTs who volunteered for the Walnut Festival. We expect an appreciation donation check soon from the Walnut Festival Association.
Beth Smith led the group in verifying contents of the Field Team, bags and stocking them with supplies gathered by the Eagle Scouts. [After the meeting Judy Dommer helped Beth finish assembling the bags.]

Don’t forget to place your orders for the See’s candy fundraiser.

Deadline for submitting orders and payment extended to Nov. 7th.

CERT FUNDRAISER

This is a fun, easy, convenient, delicious way to raise $ for CERT. Last time we did this we raised $1000.

Start selling candy today using the linked PDF form below:

Give your orders and payments to Amanda Feher by end of day Wednesday November 7th.

Fundraising Basics:

1.  CERTs sell See’s Candy for the same price that it is sold in the store

2.  Candy will be delivered to your home by December 1st (early enough to pass some out for holiday/end of year gifts!).

Think how happy you will be not to fight for a parking space or wait in line come December!

CERT will make 22% on sales greater than $500. If we get orders for less than $500 we will call it off.

How we do this:

1.  See attached flyer.  Front of the flyer is the candy that See’s is offering this year.  Back of the flyer is where orders are tracked-who bought what type of candy and how much they paid.

2.  You offer the sale of the candy to family, friends, coworkers – the people you know.

3.  Customers pay cash or make out checks to “City of Walnut Creek”

CANDY MUST BE PAID FOR WHEN ORDERED – this is why we sell to people we know – don’t want to worry about bounced checks.

4.  Two ways to turn the checks and orders in:

Hello Northgate CERTs.
Please join us next week on Wednesday evening October 3 @ 7PM at the Mormon Church on Northgate Rd.

At the meeting we will review our participation in the Sept. 15th Light Up The City drill while we fill the SAR team bags with new supplies that Beth Smith, Logistics Chief, has procured.  Please come help us! 
Field Team supplies bags and personal backpack supplies are posted here –

• Field Team Bags: START, Medical Resupply, & Equipment
• Personal CERT backpack

Upcoming CERT classes and events for 2018 & 2019:

• WCPD Active Shooter Drill with CERT volunteers as victims – September 26, 10PM – 2AM
• Fall 2018 CERT Basic Training classes CANCELLED due to lack of signups
• Fall 2018 CERT graduation drill CANCELLED
• Amateur (HAM) radio license test cram, Saturday November 10th.
• Amateur (HAM) radio Getting-On-The-Air classes 1 & 2 – November 14 & December 19, 6:30PM – 9PM.
• Disaster Medical Hands On class – continuing education – November 17th, Saturday 
• Spring 2019 CERT Basic Training classes on Friday & Saturdays – April 12, 13, 27 – TENTATIVE DATES
• Spring 2019 CERT graduation drill, Saturday May 11 – TENTATIVE DATE

Minutes for Sept. monthly meeting are provided by Patricia Goglia:

Format of meeting was Chair’s presentation, city news then general info and questions.

Peggy Gipps  chaired  the meeting. She presented the Information Handling in CERT Command Post in preparation for the Sept 15 2018 City-Wide Drill. We set up stations for Communications, Operations, Plans, Logistics and Incident Command. We practiced handling the information using the forms. Detailed minutes on the use of the Forms will be written up for the group.

We discussed the upcoming Community Service Day on Saturday October 13, 2018 9 am – 12 noon (3 hours). The Emergency Planning Outreach to Care Facilities Project will use volunteers to distribute information to the care facilities in each CERT area. In the Northgate CERT area there are 3 neighborhoods in which the Care Facilities are located: Rancho San Miguel, Foot Hills and Citrus. We have mapped out the route for volunteers. Please sign up on the Community Service Day web page for this project.

Patricia has kindly offered to provide minutes for all our meetings – Thank You! Patricia is an experienced Plans Chief formerly of Heather Farm CERT area. She is a welcome addition to cover Plans when Ian McGowan cannot make it to a drill.

Please join us Wednesday evening March 7th @ 7PM at the Mormon Church at Doncaster and Northgate Rd.
And don’t forget, the Spring 2018 basic training evening classes start April 10th and registration is open now. Schedule of classes and locations are posted on the CERT calendar and on the Training page.

Please let me know if you can help with the Spring classes. We need help in all skill levels: sign-in at class 1, set up or tear down any/ classes, training assistants for hands on exercises, etc.

• Hold the date – Saturday September 15th – for a City-wide drill – set Command Posts at all 8 areas.
• Fall basic training schedule has changed to a Friday and 2 Saturdays. New schedule is attached below.
• Hold the date – Fall 2018 CERT graduation drill, Saturday October 27th – hosted by us, Northgate CERT!

Upcoming CERT classes and events for 2018:

Spring 2018 CERT Basic Training classes on Tuesday evenings – April 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22 – at ConFire training facility on Treat Blvd (near Trader Joe’s), except for class 7 that is at ARF on Mitchell Drive

• Amateur (HAM) radio license test cram, Saturday June 2nd.
• Spring 2018 CERT graduation drill, Saturday June 9th
• Amateur (HAM) radio Getting-On-The-Air classes 1 & 2 – June 6 & July 11, 6:30PM – 9PM.
• City-wide drill – set Command Posts at all 8 areas – Saturday September 15th
• Fall 2018 CERT Basic Training classes on Friday & Saturdays – October 12, 13, 20 – at ConFire training facility on Treat Blvd (near Trader Joe’s)
• Fall 2018 CERT graduation drill, Saturday October 27th
• Amateur (HAM) radio license test cram, Saturday November 10th.
• Amateur (HAM) radio Getting-On-The-Air classes 1 & 2 – November 14 & December 19, 6:30PM – 9PM.
• Disaster Medical Hands On class – continuing education – November 17th, Saturday

The Spring 2018 basic training evening classes start April 10th and registration is open now. Schedule of classes and locations are posted on the CERT calendar and on the Training page.