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Dear Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Volunteer,

It is an exciting time in Santa Clara County!  In partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services (OES), the City of Santa Clara is planning an exercise to increase our ability to provide emergency shelter care, and we invite CERT volunteers from throughout the County to participate!

On Thursday, September 14, 2017, the City of Santa Clara will be conducting an emergency shelter exercise, Sheltering Santa Clara, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and we invite you to be a volunteer Shelter Worker and work alongside the Red Cross OR to be a volunteer Shelter Client/Evacuee.

Prior to the exercise, Shelter Workers will need to take a four hour Shelter Fundamentals Class on Thursday, August 24, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Santa Clara Fire Training Center on 1900 Walsh Ave in Santa Clara. (Bring an appetite for pizza.)

To register for the August 24 training and the September 14 exercise, please click here:

Sheltering Santa Clara, 2017 Exercise Registration . If the maximum capacity for Shelter Workers is reached, a waiting list will be established.

There is also an opportunity to be a volunteer Shelter Client/Evacuee with a two hour time commitment on September 14 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon.  No prior training is required to arrive at the shelter and “role play” an evacuee in need of sheltering.  To volunteer and register as a Shelter Client/Evacuee, please indicate this when you register here: Sheltering Santa Clara, 2017 Exercise Registration

(There is one registration form for both volunteer opportunities.)

If the maximum capacity for Shelter Clients/Evacuees is reached, a waiting list will be established.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at lschoenthal@santaclaraca.gov or (408) 615-4990 or Santa Clara CERT Coordinator Jon Boucher at jboucher@santaclaraca.gov or (408) 615-4940 if you would like to discuss this opportunity.

Thank you for considering to volunteer for this important exercise to further increase the emergency preparedness of our community.

Warm regards,

Lisa

Lisa Schoenthal | Emergency Services Coordinator

City of Santa Clara

Office of Emergency Services

Santa Clara Fire Department

777 Benton St.| Santa Clara, CA  95050

(408) 615-4990, office; www.SantaClaraCA.gov

• Yes, I’ll help out, and will be available for the hour(s) between:   ____ and   ____.
• Yes, I’ll help out. I am available at any time during the day so let me know when you need me.
• No, sorry, I’m not able to help out that day.

The next Saratoga CERT group event is our CERT Leadership Meeting on July 27th from 5-7pm at the Saratoga Recreation Portable @ Joan Pisani Community Center.  All Saratoga CERT Members are welcome and encouraged to attend.  The July event will be a key organizational meeting for our group.  This month we will review and approve creation of new operational districts for Saratoga CERT and fill leadership roles in the city and division CERT organizations.  We will review our IT/communication/recruiting efforts since our last leadership meeting.  We will also begin our budget planning for 2018.  

Details can be found at the calendar entry: http://saratogacert.org/event/saratoga-cert-leadership-meeting/ – we ask that you RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saratoga-cert-leadership-meeting-tickets-35899683921  so that we can have the right number of seats and handouts available.

This CERT Refresher, Fire Safety & Utility Hazards, will focus on the CERT volunteers ability to identify utility hazards in the home, workplace, and if activated for an emergency. A Guest Speaker from PG&E will discuss electrical and gas hazards with best practices for the CERT member.

An update on portable fire extinguisher types, use and safety will also be reviewed.

Thu, June 22, 2017 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM PDT – Joan Pisani Community Center, Saratoga – 19655 Allendale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070
Register

Mon, June 5, 2017 – 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM PDT – Orchard City Banquet Hall – Campbell – 1 West Campbell Avenue, Banquet Hall, Campbell, CA 95008
Register

For additional information please contact your CERT Leadership or visit the Santa Clara County Fire Department web site at: www.SCCFD.org

Important: Please bring your CERT Identification Badge/Card, All Personal Protective Equipment (backpack), and a flashlight. You must be a CERT Volunteer with one of the Cities or Towns in County Fire Jurisdiction to attend the CERT Refresher Class.

Saratoga CERT members come together to refresh their skills and to learn new ones.  On June 22nd from 5-7pm we will review radio communications skills.

Location: Sartoga Recreation Portable @ Joan Pisani Community Center

Calendar notice

Please RSVP by clicking this link

The Federal Emergency Management Administration offers a wealth of courses for basic and advanced training in how to respond and manage an emergency.  CERT members and Ham Radio Operators should explore the following two introductory courses:

IS-100.B: Introduction to Incident Command System

ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

IS-700.A: National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction

This course introduces and overviews the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.

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