Meeting Minutes

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C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

 

 

Coordinator and Team Leader Meeting Minutes

Date:  12/2/09

Time:  7:00pm-8:15pm

Location:  Broadview Hts. Community Center, Elm Room

 

 

1. H1N1 POD General Discussion

 

1. The following suggestions for improvement were submitted by the various workgroups:
   • Need more escorts and workflow monitors to reduce bottlenecks, especially at the vaccination room.  Hallways and doorways need to stay clear. 
   • The auditorium lobby needs a means to “snake” the queue of people to reduce the length of the line. 
   • A clean-up crew needs to be assigned to periodically clean up various areas throughout the process.
   • More education is needed for those reviewing the forms prior to vaccination.  A post vaccination form check was also needed as 10% of the forms were not filled out completely and therefore could not be tallied by the County.
   • Each team member should focus on the task that they have been assigned.
   • Team leaders need to review the job responsibilities with the volunteers prior to the start of the POD.  A “cheat sheet” of what the job responsibilities entail should also be given to each volunteer.
   • More radios should be distributed to volunteers with a quick on-site user instruction review.
   • More security is needed at the site.
   • More room is needed for volunteer sign-in.
   • We need better organization before the POD begins.  Supervisors need to have a check-in at their areas and give an overview of the whole process to each member.
   • A better system for those with special needs should be addressed.  A remote vaccination station may need to be designated. 

 

2. Future POD planning

Each area leader needs to write a step-by-step procedure for their area of responsibility.  This “how-to” manual should address staff requirements, responsibilities, supplies needed and where they are stored and a list of contacts.  This manual will be needed if key people are missing during an event.

It was also suggested that a back up for each team lead be designated.  Please submit these detailed instructions to Carolyn by 12/7/09.  

 

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

Coordinator and Team Leader Meeting Minutes

Date:  12/2/09

Time:  7:00pm-8:15pm

Location:  Broadview Hts. Community Center, Elm Room

 

 

1. H1N1 POD General Discussion

 

1. The following suggestions for improvement were submitted by the various workgroups:
   • Need more escorts and workflow monitors to reduce bottlenecks, especially at the vaccination room.  Hallways and doorways need to stay clear. 
   • The auditorium lobby needs a means to “snake” the queue of people to reduce the length of the line. 
   • A clean-up crew needs to be assigned to periodically clean up various areas throughout the process.
   • More education is needed for those reviewing the forms prior to vaccination.  A post vaccination form check was also needed as 10% of the forms were not filled out completely and therefore could not be tallied by the County.
   • Each team member should focus on the task that they have been assigned.
   • Team leaders need to review the job responsibilities with the volunteers prior to the start of the POD.  A “cheat sheet” of what the job responsibilities entail should also be given to each volunteer.
   • More radios should be distributed to volunteers with a quick on-site user instruction review.
   • More security is needed at the site.
   • More room is needed for volunteer sign-in.
   • We need better organization before the POD begins.  Supervisors need to have a check-in at their areas and give an overview of the whole process to each member.
   • A better system for those with special needs should be addressed.  A remote vaccination station may need to be designated. 

 

2. Future POD planning

Each area leader needs to write a step-by-step procedure for their area of responsibility.  This “how-to” manual should address staff requirements, responsibilities, supplies needed and where they are stored and a list of contacts.  This manual will be needed if key people are missing during an event.

It was also suggested that a back up for each team lead be designated.  Please submit these detailed instructions to Carolyn by 12/7/09.  

 

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  11/18/09

Time:  7pm-8:30pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

                                                                                                     

 

A.  General Announcements

 

1.      ID badges

Pictures for ID badges will be taken in January.

 

2.      Red Cross Classes

Additional Red Cross Classes will be available starting in January.  Details to follow.

 

3.      Newsletter

A Winter newsletter is being compiled which will contain a schedule of events for 2010.

 

4.      Citizens Corp

The Coast Guard is interested in collaborating with local CERTs for shoreline assessment and animal control if an oil spill occurs on Lake Erie.  They are also suggesting “strike teams” be created for sheltering, search and rescue, damage assessment and to support a hot line.

 

5.      H1N1 vaccination POD

Everyone was thanked for their hard work and help with the vaccination POD.  Terry Allen from the Cuyahoga County Health Department sent a thank you letter that was read.  Vaccinators should check the ServeOhio web site to make sure they are registered.  Everyone was encouraged to send their comments and suggestions for improvements to their team leaders. 

 

  

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  10/21/09

Time:  7pm-8:30pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

                                                                                                     

 

A.  General Announcements-Jill Gerber

 

1.      School Drill

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights school drill was a simulated school shooting incident.  The drill was held on a non-school day with many students, teachers and CERT members participating.  The drill was very realistic and an excellent training experience for everyone that was involved.

 

2.      Metro Life Flight

This exercise was held in North Royalton.  Those that attended learned what is needed to clear a landing area for the Life Flight helicopter.  The event ended with an actual landing and tour of the interior of the helicopter.

 

3.      Red Cross Shelter Training

This training will be held on Oct. 27th, 29th and 31^st.  Pre-registration is recommended; please check the newsletter for information on how to register.

 

4.      Other upcoming events:

a.  Booville Halloween party 10/25 from 1-4, members are needed for communications and monitoring of the event.

b.  Burke Airport Drill 10/24 from 7am-12noon volunteers will help with the event and be victims.     

 

5.      Vaccination for H1N1

The County Health Department may request help from local CERTs to  establish vaccination PODs. 

 

6.      Open CERT Positions

There are currently several open positions.  One Board position will be open at the end of this year and two coordinator positions are also available.  Please ask one of the current Board members if you are interested in these positions.

 

 

B.  Water Rescue—Mark Bender

 

1.      Training

Training and increasing awareness of the dangers of water rescue is very important to reduce the loss of life during a water search and rescue.  These types of events are not performed often by first responders and are very dangerous to those involved.  Three to four deaths of public safety personnel are attributed to drowning each year as a result of a water rescue situation.

 

2.      Resources

It is important to have the equipment and trained personnel ready in the event of a water rescue situation.  Resources outside your community may also have to be determined in advance and relied upon during these types of events.

 

3.      Disaster Plan

A disaster plan should be developed in advance.  Communities should identify hazards in their areas.  Aerial photographs, topographical maps and historical data about previous events should be compiled as part of your disaster plan.

 

4.      Water Safety during a rescue event

a.  Control the scene—Shut down roads, limit access and keep people out of the area, establish a perimeter and a containment zone

 

b.  Establish Incident Command—The National Incident Management System (NIMS) should be used to control the incident response.

 

c.  Personal Safety—Personal safety always comes first with personal floatation devices always being used.

 

d.  Security--Secure witnesses, evidence and property

 

e.  Recognize hazards

·         Utilities:  Check if the gas pilot is out and if electricity is still live

·         Personnel hazards:  Check for confined spaces and if and contaminated or hazardous chemicals or materials may be in the water.

5.       Types of Water Rescues—Water rescues are categorized into one of the following:  Surface water (lakes or ponds), Ice, Surf and Swift water/floods

 

a.  Swift Water/Floods—More people are lost in Swift Water/Floods than all other natural disasters combined.  Each year in the U.S. 100 people die in floods.  Death by flooding is the #1 weather killer.

 

1)     Dangers--Swift Water/Flood dangers may be the result of dams     washing out, water rising to bridge levels and creating strainers, water flowing over islands and water flowing and being forced through small openings.

 

2)     Travel—Roads may be impassable and alternative routes should be considered.  Never drive through a flooded area, as the depth of water and any underlying hazard such as road washout cannot be determined.  The force of flowing water should never be under-estimated.  As the velocity of flowing water doubles the force quadruples.

 

3)     Communication—Problems with communication systems being overloaded should always be considered with contingency plans being devised in advance.

 

4)     Contamination of water—Chemical, biological and radiological contamination of water should be considered and protection measures available.

 

5)     Flood Safety Awareness— Never tie a rope around yourself to enter the water to attempt to save someone. The single most important point to remember is never go into water to help save someone instead throw them a floatation device.  Always remember to teach children about water safety.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  9/16/09

Time:  7pm-8pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

                                                                                                     

 

A.  H1N1 Influenza—Karen Seimen        , Influenza Educational Outreach

 

1. Transmission and Recovery

Influenza is transmissible to others one day before symptoms occur and up to 7 days after symptoms start.  Most individuals recover from Influenza in 1-2 weeks without treatment.

 

2.      Vaccination

a.      Two types of vaccines are available, both are produced by growing the virus in eggs:

 

TIV = Trivalent inactivated, using killed virus.  The trivalent vaccine is the usual seasonal vaccine the same process will be used for the H1N1 vaccine except that it will be a monovalent vaccine, which means it is specifically designed to protect against the H1N1 pandemic strain of influenza.

 

LAIV = Live attenuated, which is an inhaled type and will only be given to healthy individuals as it can cause mild symptoms.

 

b.      Vaccines are available without the preservative thimerosal for children and pregnant women.

 

c.       If the availability of the vaccine needs to be limited the following groups will get priority:

1.)     Those with direct patient contact such as hospital workers and direct responders

2.)     Children 6 months to 4 years of age

3.)     Pregnant women

4.)     Children 5 years to 18 years with a chronic medical condition

 

 

 

3.      Treatment

There are three antiviral medications available:  Tamiflu, Relenza and Amantadine.  These treatments should only be used on patients who are hospitalized or at high risk of complications due to underlying medical conditions.  Antiviral treatment needs to be started within 48 hours of symptoms and will only shortens the illness by one day.  Normally healthy individuals should not be treated with antiviral medication for influenza.

     

4. Recommended interventions  

The following interventions are recommended to limit the spread of Influenza:

1. Isolation—stay home if you are sick
2. Quarantine—limit exposure to those that are sick
3. Social distancing—keep 6 feet of separation between people
4. Cough etiquette—Cough into your sleeve or a tissue which should then be discarded
5. Hand washing—Wash hands well and regularly as the virus can be spread by touching contaminated surfaces

 

5. Recovery

Most people can be cared for at home and do not need to seek medical testing or treatment.  Recovery should begin 1-2 weeks after symptoms present.  If the following symptoms occur it is appropriate to seek medical treatment:

 

·         Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

·         Pain in chest or abdomen

·         Sudden dizziness or confusion

·         Severe or persistent vomiting

·         If symptoms return after previous improvement such as fever and worse cough which may indicate bacterial pneumonia.

 

 

B.  Upcoming Events

 

·         September 19-26^th FEMA Training

·         October 16^th School event

·         October 21^st, Wednesday, General Meeting, Water Rescue

·         October 27th, 29th, 31^st, Red Cross Shelter training

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

Coordinator Meeting Minutes

Date:  9/2/09

Time:  7:15pm-8:15pm

Location:  Coffee Shop in Broadview Hts.

 

 

1. General Discussion

 

1. Influenza vaccine discussion
   • The County will receive 167,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine. 
   • There are 1.5 million people in Cuyahoga County.
   • If CERT teams were to participate in an inoculation event, members would need to be vaccinated and additional equipment would need to be procured.

 

2. CERT awareness—The need to increase awareness and new member enrollment was discussed.

 

3. September Meeting—The next general meeting was discussed and the possibility to change the topic to a community awareness meeting about H1N1.  The following ideas were discussed:
   • A County Board of Health representative could speak
   • A school nurse could speak (Jill will contact the Board of Education)
   • We could state the CERT role in helping during a pandemic
   • The County and CDC web site should be used as sources of information
   • How should we notify the community of the event?

 

4.  The design of the Web site was discussed:
   • The Background should be solid gray
   • The front page should have the most relevant information with tabs for Home/Org Chart/Newsletter/Meeting Minutes/FEMA/Be Prepared/Join Now/Contact Us
   • The tabs that contain the newsletters and meeting minutes should be listed by dates
   • The Home page should revert to an “Emergency Page” when needed with instruction as to where to report.
   • Carolyn will contact Jim, Brian W. and Tom to help work on this update with a deadline of September 16^th for changes to be made.
   • It was suggested that the Broadview Hts. web site contain more prominent information about CERT

 

B.  Future General Meetings and Events

 

·         September 12^th—Hopkins Airport Drill

·         September 16^th General Meeting—H1N1

·         October 10^th—Mock drill for September graduates

·         October 21^st—Water Safety

·         October 24^th—Burke Airport Drill

·         October 31^st—Volunteers needed for Halloween traffic control

·         November 19^th Meeting—Holiday meeting, bring a friend and get a gift

 

Action Items:

	Item	Who’s responsible	By when:
1.	The Organization section of the Policies and Procedures manual needs input form Broadview Heights Fire. (from 7/1/09 meeting)	BBH Fire Department	Next Coordinator Meeting
2.	Goals from each division need to be included in the Policies and Procedures manual. (from 7/1/09 meeting)	Coordinators	Next Coordinator Meeting
2.	FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to be forwarded to Jim for use on the web site.	All Coordinators and Board members	Next Coordinator Meeting
3.	Information to include in the proposed Division or Team tabs for the web site.	All Coordinators and Board members	Next Coordinator Meeting
4.	Suggestions as to who should be the point person for responding to “contact” messages on the web site.	All Coordinators and Board members	Next Coordinator Meeting
5.	The web site redesign (from 9/2/09 meeting)	Carolyn, Jim S., Brian W.	September 16th

 

     

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  7/22/09

Time:  7pm-8pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center                                                 

A.  General Announcements—Jill Gerber 

1. Newsletter

An updated newsletter will be sent out August 1st. 

2.      Brecksville Home Days

Thank you to all those that helped with the CERT booth and fireworks boarder patrol during the Home Days. 

3.      May 30^th Drill recognition

The County Citizens Corp group was very impressed with our recent drill and would like to use the video taken that day for other CERT groups.  Articles about the drill were also in both the Brecksville Magazine and the Journal.  Marion Rubin was recognized for doing a great job in getting this information published.      

4. Next Meeting: 

We will not have a meeting in August.  The next meeting will be September 17^th. 

5. FEMA classes

The next set of FEMA classes will be held in September.  The classes will be held on two consecutive Saturdays, 9/19 and 9/26 from 8:30am to 1pm.  You must attend both days.  Please let Marc Rubin or Brian Russo know if you are interested in participating. 

6. Upcoming Drills

There will be a Hopkins Airport Drill on September 12^th.  Forms will be available soon if you are interested in participating.  Volunteers will be needed to act as victims.  Also, there will be a Burke Airport Drill on October 24^th.  If you plan to participate in these events you will need to arrive very early (approx. 6am) and be prepared to spend most of the day.  You do not need to bring anything with you but should dress in grungy clothing as your clothes may get damaged during the event.

 

3. Communication Review—Marc Rubin

1.  The following items were discussed concerning radio communication: 

·         Several organizations (ARES and NTS) were responsible for starting the citizen component of radio communication in the form of short wave radio in 1935 and 1949. 

·         Amateur radio is a great hobby.  Knowing Morris Code is no longer necessary.  If you are interested in getting an amateur radio license go to the web site:  www.2cars.org.

·         The system that we use in CERT is considered a “family radio system” and only works for short distances.

·         Radios have limited range and do not always work inside buildings

·         The purpose of radio communication is to exchange information such as coordinating activities between Incident Command and the field.

·         Net Control is the central communication hub during an event.

·         Always perform a radio check before leaving the staging area.

·         Communicate back to Net Control if you are having distance limitations or battery problems.

·         Listening is the most important skill when using the radios.

·         Efficient and timely communication is important.

·         Use professional language, no horseplay.

·         Remember, information transmitted over the radio is not private; anyone can hear your conversation.

·         Before talking into the radio listen for open air then ask “Net Control, permission to pass traffic”. 

·         When communicating on the radio be brief and to the point, think before speaking and speak clearly.

·         If you have an emergency to report and the airways are not clear, use the word “Break” to ask for permission to break into a conversation.

·         Keep the radio batteries warm to help prolong their life.

·         Acknowledge the receipt of all messages and listen before you speak.

·         Do not use “over and out”, swear or shout into the radio.

·         Do not mishandle the radios; always keep track of your radio so that it does not get lost. 

2.  A comment about the May 30^th drill was that we did not identify the teams with tactical call signs.  The teams were not assigned numbers, letters or colors but were identified by who was in the team.  This is an opportunity for improvement for future drills. 

3.  The Broadview Heights radios are kept at the Wallings Road fire station (station #1).  The Brecksville radios are in the CERT locker.  Both sets of radios are always charging.

 4.  Instructions for how to use the Motorola Talk-About radio were reviewed.  Teams of five were formed and a radio drill was practiced.   

Next Meeting:  Thursday, September 17^th at 7:00pm, Brecksville Community Center

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

 

C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

  

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  6/18/09

Time:  7pm-8:15pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center                                                                                                 

 

A.  General Announcements—Jill Gerber 

1.      Introductions

One new member from the audience was recognized—Linda Neal.

2. Newsletter

The most recent newsletter was distributed. 

3.      Brecksville Home Days, June 26, 27 & 28

Volunteers are needed to provide coverage at the CERT booth in two-hour increments.  See the web site for sign-up instructions.  We would also like to have a game available at the booth so please forward your ideas to Jill.  Members are also needed to stand watch on the fireworks perimeter on Sunday night, arrive at the Fire Station on Sunday night at 9pm if interested. 

4. Next Meeting:  Wednesday July 22^nd, Brecksville Community Center

A communication drill will be the main topic. 

5. FEMA classes

The next set of FEMA classes will be held in September.  The classes will be held on two consecutive Saturdays, 9/19 and 9/26 from 8:30am to 1pm.  Please let Marc Rubin or Brian Russo know if you are interested in participating. 

6. Challenger Baseball

Contact Brian Wolf if you are interested in helping with this event, which is scheduled for July 17, 18 and 19. 

7. Background Checks

Background checks need to be performed every 2-3 years.  More to follow once details are known.

8. Citizens Corp

There will be a Hopkins Airport Drill on September 12^th from 9am-1pm.  The FAA requires this training, which will be a simulated plane crash and terrorism incident.  Volunteers will be needed to act as victims and helpers. 

9. Trailers

Our new CERT trailers have arrived.  Anyone interested in helping stock the trailers please contact Bob Fehlner.

 10. Upcoming Meetings

The October meeting will be a water rescue demo, which will be held in the Brecksville Pool.  Let Marc Rubin or Brian Russo know of any ideas for topics for upcoming meetings. 

11. Community Service

Ray Roginski reported that the Holy Family Home is in need of donations of clothing and home supplies.  He has a “wish list” of items, contact him if you have items to donate.

 B. Backpack Inventory

An inventory was done of items contained in our backpacks.  Glove replacements were distributed. 

3. May 30^th Drill Wrap-up

The following items were discussed concerning the May 30^th Drill

·         If you did not get a phone call let Carolyn Jatsek or Jim Steiger know.  More to follow about how multiple phone numbers will be handled.

·         Members need to re-familiarize themselves with triage and treatment principles.

·         We need to improve communication between each other and become familiar with roles and responsibilities of the chain of command structure.

·         We may need to consider a separate room for Incident Command outside the staging area.

·         We need to become familiar with forms and improve documentation.

·         We need an operational procedure manual defining what each person should do including what forms need to be filled out.  This manual should also define roles and responsibilities.

·         We need to rethink our communication system as our radios failed.

·         Laminated maps of each city in our backpacks would help.

Conclusion:  We have a great group of people and we know what not to do and we are getting better each time we have a drill.

 Next Meeting:  Wednesday July 22^nd at 7:00pm, Brecksville Community Center

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 cc:  E. Egut, J. Hajek, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  1/21/09

Time:  7pm-8:45pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

                                                                                                     

  

A.  General Announcements—Jill Gerber

 

1. Organizational Chart

An updated Organizational chart was distributed.  The Board of Directors consists of two representatives from each city.  Our new Vice-President is Brian Wolf.  Leslie Lesinski was re-elected to another term as County/CERT Liaison for Brecksville.  Open positions include County/CERT Liaison for Broadview Hts., Logistics Division Coordinator for Broadview Hts., and Historian.  Team Leaders are needed for subgroups under each division.

2. Newsletter

       The Newsletter was distributed.

 

3.  Badges

Badges were collected and updated with a new barcode label.  Badges will be used at all meeting to swipe in and out for attendance purposes.  Rosters will be available for signing in if you forgot your badge.

 

4.  FEMA classes

Two half day sessions for FEMA training will be held on Saturday 2-28 and 3-7.  Members must attend both sessions to receive credit for the training.

 

5.  T-shirts

T-shirts are available for pick-up after the meeting.  Another long sleeve t-shirt order will be placed soon.

 

B.  Citizens Corp—Leslie Lesinski

CERT is one of many groups that are under the Citizens Corp umbrella.

 

1.  Medical POD Distribution Event

A three day event involving medical POD distribution will be held on July 11th.  One POD will be used to stage a Cleveland distribution and one will be used for a suburban CERT distribution.  This event will need 1,000 volunteers to act as either victims or CERT workers.

 

2.  Training Sessions

A Citizens Corp ½ day work session will be held on 3-28.  Five individuals from BBH CERT can attend.  Let Leslie Lesinski know if you are interested.

 

3.  New Badges

New badges will be distributed this year and will be standardized county wide utilizing driver’s license pictures with expiration dates.

 

4.  Animal Disaster Training

An animal disaster training class will be available through the county.  These classes instruct volunteers on how to rescue animals during disasters.  The classes take 6 months to complete.

 

5  On-line Classes

On-line independent study classes are available on the FEMA web site, however some hands on training also needs to be completed, go to www.fema.gov for more information.

 

C.  Job Fair—Division Coordinators

 

1.  Operations—Chad Davis

This division consists of Medical, Escorts, Security, Transportation and Facilities.  The Medical team helps set-up and prepare for a medical event.  Escorts need many people to help with getting people where they need to go and assist other groups with getting things done.  Security oversees the security aspects of events and works with the police.  Transportation coordinates site preparation, provides drivers and transportation during events or emergencies.

 

2.  Logistics—Jim Steiger

This division coordinates Website, Database, Information Technology (IT), Communications and Equipment.  Members are needed to update and maintain the website for which some experience is needed.  Two databases, one roster and one inventory, need to be maintained and each city has a lap top to assist with these tasks.  The creation and management of forms is also a task for this team.  Members are also needed for data entry during drills and events.  The communication team is responsible for radio communication during an event along with distributing and keeping track of all radios.  The Equipment team maintains inventory of all equipment including backpacks and event supplies and makes sure they are returned after the completion of an event.

 

3.  Planning—Marc Rubin

This team is responsible for training, educational lectures, Media, Public Relations and Hospitality.  Members are needed to be trainers, Media/PR representatives, to help set-up refreshments at events and make phone calls.  The FEMA training will be updated this year and all previously certified members will need to take a refresher course therefore many trainers will be needed.  Also, educational information may be placed on the web site as short courses and members will be needed to create and coordinate these.

 

D.  Cold Weather Survival—Brian Russo

 

Three areas of cold weather survival were discussed:  

Ø  Outdoor

Ø  In your car

Ø  In your home

 

1.  Outdoors

It is important to remember that wind chill effect leads to frost bite therefore skin needs to be covered.  The acronym COLD and the following points should be remembered when dealing with an outdoor cold weather survival situation.

 

      C—Keep clothing Clean

      O—Avoid Overheating

      L—Wear clothing Loose and in Layers

      D—Keep clothing Dry

 

·         You get rid of heat better than you produce it

·         Don’t eat snow, it robs body heat

·         Stay in groups

·         Start a signal fire

·         Seek shelter

·         Leave markings if you move

·         Dial cell phone every hour, cell phone signals can be tracked

        2.  In your Car

·         Stay with vehicle

·         Use car mats for traction if car is stuck in ice or snow

·         Always travel with a cell phone

·         Use map and compass to let rescuers know where you are

·         Run car every 20 minutes

·         Set a signal fire

·         Keep a survival kit inside your car, not in the trunk with boots, warm clothing, gloves, blanket.

        3.  In your home

·         Shelter in your home, do not panic, assess the situation

·         Outdoor grill can be used to warm up bricks or stones to be brought into house for warmth

·         Turn house water off if there is no heat so that pipes do not freeze

·         Pick a room and isolate or seal it off from the rest of the house

·         Maintain 3 days worth of water by storing 3 gallons of water per day per person for emergencies

 Next General Meeting to be held on Thursday February 19^th at 7pm in the Brecksville Community Center.

 Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 cc:  E. Egut, L. Ippolito, J. Hajek, P. Coleman, C. Jatsek, P. Koss

 

 

C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  11/13/08

Time:  7pm-8:45pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center 

 

1. Personal Safety-Sergeant Bill Goodrich and Patrolman Greg Succi demonstrated self-defense techniques and gave safety tips and advice.

 

For a crime to take place three things are needed: 

1)     The desire of the criminal

2)     The ability of the criminal

3)     Opportunity

The only thing that we have control over is the opportunity.

 

1.      Child Safety

o   Listen to children, they have insight into situations

o   Set guidelines for children such as how far can they go in the neighborhood and at what age can they be left home alone

o   Tell children what they should do in certain situations such as which neighbor can they go to for safety, where to go if they are separated from you and what to do if someone comes to the door

o   Have a current picture of your child available

o   Have emergency phone numbers written down and within easy access

o   Do not talk or give personal information to strangers

 

2.      Home Security

o   Install solid doors with peep holes and double dead bolts

o   Place security bars on sliding glass doors

o   Windows on the first floor should be locked

o   Install exterior lighting and motion detectors

o   Keep landscaping trimmed, don’t block windows

o   Keep interior lights on when away

o   Install security systems or individual door alarms

o   Install smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors

3.      Vehicle Safety

o   Always keep the gas tank at least half full

o   Keep your doors locked while driving

o   Do not allow yourself to get boxed-in in traffic

o   Always have a cell phone while driving

o   Use your city’s direct emergency phone number instead of 911

o   Some criminals may intentionally cause an accident, if you thing this has happened and if you are able to, stop in a well traveled area

o   Park in well lit areas of parking lots not far from everyone else.  Walk to and from the store with others.  Always be aware of your surroundings

o   Be ready to enter your car immediately and lock door once inside

o   Hide any valuables inside your car

 

4.      Personal Security

o   Your attitude is important

o   Don’t trust anyone

o   Know your physical limitations

o   Do not act or look like a victim

o   Always be aware of your surroundings

o   Know what could be used as a weapon and a barricade

o   Fight for your life not your valuables

o   Vary your routine, don’t walk the same way each day

o   Verbal skills are your best asset. 

o   When you are working a CERT event you are an authority figure.  Watch the crowd for what looks unusual and keep an eye on that person. If a situation escalates stay calm, speak in a normal voice, stay under control and try to distract or divert the individual away from the issue they are upset about.  Also, don’t be afraid to pass the situation up to your boss. 

 

B.  General Announcements-Jill Gerber

 

1. ID badges—If you do not have an ID badge, pictures will be taken tonight after the meeting.  Always wear your badge to meetings and events.  It is hoped that a badge swiper system will be used for attendance but the system is still not operational yet.

 

2. Database information—Please make sure the information we have for contacting you is correct.  Check your spam filters at home to see if your CERT e-mail is going to your spam folder.

 

3. Newsletter—A quarterly newsletter will be sent out to keep everyone informed.

 

4. Calendar of events—The goal for the upcoming year is to have events planned 6 months in advance, to have meeting reminders go out in a timely fashion and to keep the web site updated on a more regular basis.  To be able to meet these goals we are asking for individuals to step forward to help with these various tasks. 

 

5. January Meeting—The January meeting will have a “job fair” so that everyone can learn how they can help with various tasks and everyone will be asked to sign-up to be a part of a particular group.

 

6.  T-shirts—Tonight is the last night to sign-up for t-shirts.  The short sleeve shirts are free, long sleeve shirts are $13.50 and must be ordered by Monday 11-17.

 

7. Planning Team—The planning team is looking for suggestions for topics for meetings or training events.  First aid courses will be held in the spring.  A “call-out” drill may be planned for next year.

 

8. Background checks—These checks may need to be re-done periodically and more information will follow once available.

 

9. Citizen Corp—Once a month Citizens Corp meets.  This meeting is for members of all county CERT teams to get together and discuss upcoming events.    

Next General Meeting to be held in January, date and time to be announced.

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 cc:  E. Egut, L. Ippolito, J. Hajek, P. Coleman, C. Jatsek

 

C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  9/25/08

Time:  7pm-8:45pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

 

 

1. Terrorism – Police Chief, Dennis Kancler

 

Dennis Kancler spoke on terrorism threats.  The following points where his take home message concerning what he believes is the best response at a community level.

• Problem solving by group brainstorming produces the best results.

 

• Lessons learned from natural events can be used for responding to terrorism attacks.

 

• A preparedness mind-set helps eliminate panic, keeps confidence high and stress down.  Citizens should read community provided materials to become more prepared for disasters.

 

• Communities are not as prepared as they should be due to lack of funding, therefore citizens need to prepare themselves for both natural and man-made disasters.

 

• The best defense communities have is citizens that stay alert to unusual situations and report unusual events to authorities.

 

B.  General Announcements-Jill Gerber

 

1. A newsletter of upcoming events should be available soon.  The newsletter will be sent by regular mail as well as e-mailed.

 

2. Volunteers are sought to help pass out literature at a CERT booth at the GO Show on Sunday Oct. 12^th.

  

3. Volunteers are needed for the Halloween party at Blossom Hill on 10-26.  Volunteers will be staffed in two shifts, 12:30-2:30pm and 2:30-4:30pm and will be used as safety monitors for the event.

 

4. Our BBH Cert team was called out for a search and rescue event, which occurred in Broadview Hts. Those that responded got valuable experience in organizing and teaming up and were thanked for their help.  If you did not get a notification call for this event, which occurred, in early September, let Jill know.

 

5. ID badges will be redone in November.  A new scanning system will be used for meeting attendance.  Please remember to wear your badge to all meetings and events.  

 

6. T-shirts will be distributed in the near future; sizes were requested on the attendance sheet.  Long sleeve T-shirts may also be ordered for a fee of $13.50.  The long sleeve shirt order forms are at the Brecksville Community Center.  A completed order form with shirt size and a check made out to “Star Sports” needs to be left in an envelope with Carolyn Jatsek’s name on it at the front desk.

 

Next General Meeting to be held in November, date and time to be announced.

  

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 

cc:  E. Egut, L. Ippolito, J. Hajek, P. Coleman, C. Jatsek

 

 

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  2/21/08

Time:  7pm-8:00pm

Location:  Brecksville Broadview Hts. High School, Large Group Room

 

 The purpose of this meeting was to share new organizational information and to practice checking in for an event, team organization, proper communication procedures and de-mobilization after an event.  A Jeopardy style game was also played to help reinforce important aspects of emergency preparedness.  

A.  New Business-Jill Gerber

1. Representatives from the electric company will give a lecture on what to do in an electrical emergency.  The talk will be held on April 17^th at 7pm at the Brecksville Community Center.

 

2. FEMA certified members only will be able to participate in a search and rescue event scheduled in May.  The training session will be held on Wednesday May 14^th with the exercise being held on Saturday May 17^th.  The drill should last approximately 2 hours and everyone must attend the training session to be able to participate in the exercise on Saturday.

 

3. Badges and background checks will be performed in March for newly certified members.  

 

4. FEMA catch-up classes can be scheduled by contacting Marc Rubin.

 

5. Both cities will be conducting an emergency contact drill on March 1^st.  The Swift Reach and Code Red systems will be used to contact CERT members by phone between 12:30 and 1pm.  Let a board member know if you were not contacted.

 

6. Brecksville Home Days will be held June 20^th thru 22^nd and Broadview Hts. Summerfest  will be held July 10^th thru 13^th.  Members will be sought to work the booth.

 

B.  Event response, communication exercise-Marc Rubin

Essential components of mobilizing a team to respond to an emergency event were discussed.  Proper communication techniques were reviewed and practiced with the hand held radios.

1. Checking-in and team organization

The first step in effectively mobilizing a team to respond to an emergency event is to account for all personnel via a check-in process.  This check-in was practiced by having everyone as they arrived to the meeting sign-in on a roster.  As each person logged in they were assigned to a team of not more than 6 members.  A leader was also assigned during this check-in process with six team members being considered a manageable span of control.

 

2. Communication

Radios were distributed to each team leader.  Important aspects of using the hand held radios were discussed and practiced.  The radios should be set to the same channel when an event begins.  The channel should also be checked prior to use to make sure no one else in the community is using that particular channel.  Net Control is the single point of communication contact during an event and all communication goes through Net Control.  During an event, a roll call of all communicators should be done periodically (approximately every 15 minutes) to make sure everyone is still in contact with Net Control.  The radio operators should use the following terminology and procedures when calling Net Control: 

·         “This is <your name> on team 1 to Net Control”

·         Always wait 3 seconds between transmissions

·         Clearly state your message to Net Control

·         Do not give any personal information over the radios as the airways are not private

·         If you are having an emergency, state that right away

 

3. Staging

As the teams are being staged several things need to begin to happen.  First the team leader should begin to assess the abilities of the members of the team.  Adjustments to the teams should be made at this time because some individuals may have expertise that could help another team. Team members should spend a few moments to get to know each other. 

 

4. Mobilization

A personnel accountability report (PAR) needs to be performed as the teams are being mobilized.  The team leader performs this task by reporting to Net Control the number of individuals on their team.  The team leader then utilizes a Unit Log to define the report to structure and to track the members of the team and the tasks they have been assigned.  This log is also used to make notes of the event and should be an overview of the event from that team’s perspective.

 

5. Demobilization

After the event is complete, each team leader needs to perform a PAR again to assure no member is unaccounted for.  As the teams disperse a check-out needs to be completed to finalize again that all members are accounted for.  An after action report may also be used to review what happened during the event.

  

C.  CERT Jeopardy-Leslie Lesinski

A Jeopardy style game was played which was a fun way to reinforce certain aspects of CERT and emergency preparedness.  The team with the most points won rain ponchos to add to their CERT backpacks.  

The next General Meeting will be held on March 20^th at 7pm at the Brecksville Broadview Heights High School in the Large Group Instruction Room.  

Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 cc:  E. Egut, L. Ippolito, J. Hajek, P. Coleman, C. Jatsek

 

 

General Meeting Minutes

Date:  12/4/07

Time:  7pm-8:00pm

Location:  Brecksville Community Center

 

 

The purpose of this meeting was to share new organizational information and to learn proper communication procedures when using the hand held radios.    

 

A.  New Business-Jill Gerber

 

1. Everyone was asked to wear their CERT ID badge to all meetings and events.  A badge swiper will be utilized in the future to take attendance at meetings.

 

2. Everyone was reminded to respond to email queries about participation in events so that we know how many people are planning to attend.

 

3. A “Call-Up” drill is being planned in the future which may be unannounced.  This type of drill will test our ability to use our contact systems and may require individuals to meet at a designated area where we would sign-in to complete the drill and then go home.  

 

4. Future continuing education sessions and training exercises are being planned for the coming year.  A disaster simulation may be held in the 1^st quarter of 2008 and a repeat dispensing or inoculation drill may be held in Fall of 2008.

 

5. A new organizational chart is being designed.  The current chart was originally created for the mock inoculation/dispensing drill and does not address ongoing or everyday operational needs.  Individuals are being sought to help with many of the following functions: 

·         Newsletter

·         Publicity

·         Welcome letters and packets

·         Event and meeting scheduling

·         Hospitality for meetings or events

·         Training/Trainers

·         Equipment Managers

·          Phone calls to members without internet

·         Photographer and scrapbook

 

If you are interested in helping in any of the above areas please contact one of the board members.

 

B.  Communication training session-John Adams

 

Communication essentials were discussed that will enable everyone to feel comfortable using the hand held radios during any event.

 

1. Maps are essential during events so you can identify where you are while communicating to others.

 

2. Communicators should be highly visible to others by means of signs or other visual means.

 

3. All radios will be set to the proper channel when an event begins but everyone should know how to change the channel if needed.

 

4. Radio ranges are usually 1-2 miles but physical interference created by buildings or the environment need to be taken into consideration.

 

5. Extra sets of AA batteries should be provided to each radio operator during an event.

 

6. Net Control is the single point of communication contact during an event and all communication goes through Net Control.  The individual that is responsible for Net Control records all calls on a log sheet however someone may be assigned to help with this task.  Net control is in contact with all other Nets via radio (i.e. Police and Fire).

 

7. During an event, a roll call of all communicators should be done periodically (approximately every 15 minutes) to make sure everyone is still in contact with Net Control.  This should be done as follows:  “Net Control to station 1, please acknowledge.”

 

8.  The radio operators should use the following terminology  and procedures when calling Net Control: 

·         “This is <your name> at station 1 to Net Control”

·         Always wait 3 seconds between transmissions

·         Clearly state your message to Net Control

·         Do not give any personal information over the radios as the airways are not private

·         If you are having an emergency, state that right away

·         Stay at your assigned station, if you need to move to another area notify Net Control

 

9. Operating instructions for the Motorola Talkabout Radios were distributed and reviewed and everyone was given the opportunity to practice using the radios.

 

10.  Everyone in attendance received a Radio Communication Course Certificate of Completion.

 

 The next General Meeting will be held at the end of January in Broadview Heights,

date, time and location to be announced.

 Respectfully Submitted,

Sue Schindler

 cc:  E. Egut, L. Ippolito, J. Hajek, P. Coleman, C. Jatsek

 

C.E.R.T

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

BRECKSVILLE – BROADVIEW HEIGHTS

Board of Directors and Division Coordinators Meeting Minutes

Date:  5/16/07

Time:  7pm-8:30pm

Location:  Brecksville Fire Station

 This meeting was held to review the Mock Dispensing Drill held on May 12^th.

 A.     Mock Dispensing Drill

The main areas in need of improvement are Communications, Identifying roles and more individuals assigned to Security.  Chief Egut mentioned that this was the first drive through dispensing event performed in Cuyahoga County and commended our efforts in a successful drill.  He noted that everyone adapted well as we went through the drill, if someone did not know what to do, they found an answer before proceeding.

 

1.      Communications 

a.      The word “Mock” should be emphasized in all communications related to the drill.

b.      Communication etiquette along with radio operating instructions need to be reviewed with everyone assigned a radio prior to the start of the event.

c.      If two channels are to be used during the drill, Net Communication Control needs a radio for each channel being used.

d.      The transmitter for broadcasting instructions to participants was tested and worked very well.

e.      Runners may need to be utilized instead of relying on radios for some issues.

         2.      Identifying Roles, Understanding Job Tasks and Command/Control

 

a.      A pre-briefing the day of the drill would be helpful to discuss the objectives along with safety concerns.  This could be done in a central location after volunteers sign-in.

b.      Signage needs to be improved.  Bigger signs at the entrance along with sturdier signs throughout the event are needed.

c.      The role of each volunteer needs to be more visual by way of some type of color coding on the vests.

d.      The command post should be marked, signs had been prepared but they were not used.

e.      The incident command system needs to be reinforced along with following the command structure.  Each volunteer should only take orders from their team leader.

 

3.       Miscellaneous 

a.      Drug dosage/information sheets were available but no participant asked for them.

b.      More data entry personnel were needed at the license check point at station 2. 

c.      The clipboards should be make up ahead of time.

d.      The “Thank You” note that was handed out to the participants should have the CERT web site noted for additional comments.

e.       A participant that is “Rejected” from receiving antibiotics should be labeled something else (i.e.“Deferred to Emergency Room”).

f.        The County should have clearer copies of the Standard Operating Procedure available.  The copy we had was very difficult to read.

g.      The forms should not have purple areas as it was too hard to read.

h.     Other CERT teams did not show up to participate which was a disappointment.

 

         4.      Follow-up Issues 

a.      Each leader needs to write an “After Action” report focusing on tasks for their respective areas.

b.      Thank You letters will be sent to those in the community who donated to the drill (candy, pizza, soft drinks etc.)

c.      A trailer is needed for the equipment.  We will ask if U-Store-It will donate a locker.  A way to facilitate donations of equipment will be explored, possibly using a “wish list” tab on the web site.

d.      The drive up scenario was not the most efficient and we need to explore the possibility of performing the dispensing event as a hybrid of something between the inoculation event and the drive up dispensing event.

e.      A suggestion was made to establish a “Day Care” group for CERT workers.

f.        A night drill might be a consideration in the future at which we would need to have light and shelter.

g.      New volunteers have been identified by the web site.  Sue will contact them to welcome them to the team.

 B.    Upcoming events

                 a.      Emergency preparedness lectures will be scheduled soon.

b.      A CERT newsletter will be created and made available on the web site.

c.      Volunteers are needed to carry the large flag in the Brecksville Memorial Day Parade.

d.      Both cities would like to have CERT members man booths at the home days celebrations.

Respectfully Submitted, Sue Schindler

END OF MEETING MINUTES 5/16/07