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From J Oberhofer KN6PE via Santa Clara Count ARES/RACES:

https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-power-shutoff-faq.page

City of Saratoga Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Cox CERT Division

Meeting Minutes

Meeting held on Monday, 13 May 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the home of Lori Stafford.

Saratoga Cox CERT Division meeting attendees were the following:

1. Debbie Ellis
2. Jack Griswold
3. Kevin Marques (19 May 2019 CERT Academy graduate)
4. Peter Melhus
5. Chuck Rader
6. Brad Silveria
7. Lori Stafford
8. Lyle Topham
9. Jeff Walker

Discussion items:

• The results of the Monday, 06 May 2019 Cox CERT Division FRS radio check-in drill were discussed. A total of three divisional members were successful in establishing direct two-way communications with the simulated CERT Incident Command Post (manned by Chuck Rader as drill Net Control) at Kevin Moran Park. These were Tom Baker, Peter Melhus, and Brad Silveria. Three members checked in via relay through Peter Melhus. These were Jack Griswold and Debbie Ellis in Saratoga Woods, and Kevin Marques in the central Brookview neighborhood. Peter was initially located for relay at the intersection of Titus Avenue and Bellwood Drive. He then repositioned to Titus Court.

The next monthly FRS radio check-in drill will be conducted on Monday, 03 June 2019, at 7:30 p.m. Brad Silveria will act as Net Control for the June drill, and will again be positioned at the simulated ICP in Kevin Moran Park. To further experiment with FRS relay operations, Peter Melhus will position himself at the intersection of Miller Avenue and Brockton Lane.

• A review was conducted of all upcoming CERT-related training, refresher courses, and exercises. 
  • The Saratoga-sponsored CERT Academy is still in need of credentialed Saratoga CERT members to assist with the Academy “final exam.” Volunteers should report to the Joan Pisani Community Center at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, 19 May 2019.
  • Planning is just about completed for the upcoming joint City of Campbell Hamann Park CERT Division/City of Saratoga CERT six-hour field training exercise. Specifics of the exercise were discussed. Isabel Barrios, the lead exercise coordinator from Hamann Park CERT, is asking all prospective Saratoga participants to sign up ASAP on the Eventbrite event sign-up/RSVP posting.
  • The two SCCFD CERT Refresher training courses scheduled for June 2019 were discussed. These are: HAZ MAT and Terrorism on 04 June 2019 (7:00 to 9:00 p.m.) at the Quinlan Community Center Social Room in Cupertino; and CERT Damage Assessment on 20 June 2019 (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) at the Saratoga Prospect Center Grace Building.
  • The American Red Cross Shelter Operations Simulation exercise is now “hard scheduled” for Saturday, 22 June 2019. The simulation will be held at the Saratoga Prospect Center Friendship Hall building from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The exercise will build upon the training that a large number of Saratoga CERT members underwent in the earlier ARC Shelter Fundamentalsclass. As the exercise extends over the lunch hour, participants are asked to bring a “brown bag” lunch to the event.

• Training was continued from the Cox CERT Division Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Training topics included:  
  • CERT apparel, identification, and personal protective equipment
  • CERT incident command: what it means and the responsibilities of the CERT Incident Commander and Deputy CERT Incident Commander
  • The establishment and operations of a CERT incident command post.
  • Additional staffing requirements to fully man a CERT incident command post, and the responsibilities of these other ICP members.

Training topics for the next monthly divisional meeting include:

1. Post major-magnitude earthquake field triage
   1. Establishing, staffing and operating a field medical treatment area/site.
   1. CERT and spontaneous unaffiliated/untrained volunteers (SUV’s)
   1. CERT interaction with vulnerable community memberes

ACTION ITEM(S)

• Chuck Rader to meet with Crystal Bothelio in regard to the benefits and actions required to secure 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizational status for the City of Saratoga CERT program.

• Chuck Rader to talk to Michael Taylor/Crystal Bothelio about setting up a “special time” for upcoming Saratoga CERT Academy graduates to get their Disaster Service Worker – Volunteer (DSW-V) identification cards prepared and issued by Lori McKenna, City of Saratoga Building Division Office Specialist.

• Chuck Rader to talk to Tom Baker, Uma Challa, and Reshu Jain about the need to assess the status of the high-voltage electric transmission lines along the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way as part of their post-major magnitude earthquake neighborhood assessment. Extreme care should be exercised when carrying out this task.

• Chuck Rader to work with the other Saratoga CERT divisional leads on a one page “next steps” document for dissemination to newly-graduated Saratoga CERT members having completed a SCCFD-sponsored CERT Academy course.

• Chuck Rader and Brad Silveria to work together to identify the best date and time for a Cox CERT Division member “meet and greet” with newly graduated Cox Division Academy members. The location is presumed to be in Kevin Moran Park.

CARRY-OVER ACTION ITEMS FROM THE FEBRUARY DIVISIONAL MEETING:

• Chuck Rader to research the role the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner and federal DMORT resources have in addressing the deceased after a major-magnitude earthquake.

• Chuck Rader to research the possibility of using Church of the Ascension Catholic Church and Congregation Beth David Jewish Synagogue as inclement weatherCERT medical treatment sites.

• Chuck Rader to continue discussions with the City of Saratoga on establishing a “subset” cache of immediate response CERT materials and equipment on the grounds of Kevin Moran Park.

NEXT COX CERT DIVISIONAL MEETING:

        Wednesday, 19 June 2019, from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 7:45 p.m.

        location: TBD – Anticipated to be the Saratoga Prospect Center Grace Building

          meeting room

From Chuck Rader:

This is the Eventbrite sign-up/RSVP posting for the upcoming American Red Cross Shelter Operations Simulation exercise to be conducted on Saturday, 22 June 2019, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the City of Saratoga Prospect Center Friendship Hall facility.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/american-red-cross-shelter-operations-simulation-tickets-61906159991

There will be two ARC facilitators for this simulation exercise.

If any prospective participants have completed the advanced ARC Shelter Supervisor/Manager curriculum and desire to carry out these responsibilities during the simulation, please let Chuck know via e-mail.

FYI…The venue/location and time of the simulation have changed from what was posted earlier.

You’re invited! Join the Saratoga City Council on Wednesday, June 5 from 5:30 p.m.to 7:00 p.m. for the annual Neighborhoods Joint Meeting in the Saratoga Senior Center at 19655 Allendale Avenue in Saratoga.

The meeting this year will include:

• Dinner
• Presentation from Santa Clara County Fire on Wildfire Preparedness
• Updates from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office 
• Neighborhood Reports (pick a representative to share the latest news in your neighborhood)

 To RSVP or for more information, contact Janet Costa at 408.868.1216 or jcosta@saratoga.ca.us 

The Mass Care Coordination Division of the Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) chapter of the American Red Cross with be conducting a six-hour Shelter Operations Simulation exercise for Saratoga CERT on Saturday, 22 June 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The exercise will be conducted in the main Joan Pisani Community Center room. The purpose of the exercise is to reinforce the training instruction that Saratoga CERT members received in the recent ARC Shelter Fundamentals class.

For Saratoga CERT members who have completed the advanced Shelter Supervisor/Manager curriculum, the exercise will afford those individuals the opportunity to employ the leadership and organizational skills and knowledge provided in the advanced ARC course of instruction.

An Eventbrite sign-up page will be prepared soon to allow members to register for this important exercise.

The Saturday, 01 June 2019, joint City of Campbell Hamann Park CERT/City of Saratoga CERT 6-hour field training exercise to be held at the City of San Jose’s Marijane Hamann Park. Specific information is as follows:

The Hamann Park Division of the City of Campbell CERT organization has invited the City of Saratoga CERT organization to participate in an upcoming full-deployment, six-hour duration field training exercise. We will be fully integrated into the exercise, and will make up joint Campbell/Saratoga CERT participatory exercise teams. Hamann Park CERT is responsible for providing all role players for the exercise.

The exercise will be carried out on SATURDAY, 01 JUNE 2019, starting at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m.

The exercise will be conducted both at and in the vicinity of the City of San Jose’s Marijane Hamann Park. Marijane Hamann Park is located  at the following address:  2747 Westfield Avenue; San Jose, CA 95128

The park is bounded by Westfield Avenue on the north, N Central Avenue on the west, Almarida Drive on the south, and HWY-17 on the east.The rally point for the exercise will be in the grove of trees just south of the park tennis courts, on the Almarida Drive side of the park next to HWY-17.

There is parking along all three streets (Almarida Drive, N Central Avenue, and Westfield Avenue) bordering the park perimeter.

Saratoga CERT exercise participants should be equipped with the following:   (1) your DSW volunteer identification tag issued by Lori McKenna (City of Saratoga staff)   (2) your City of Saratoga CERT vest and ball cap   (3) your CERT “go” backpack, with all recommended items included   (4) all of your CERT personal protective equipment (hardhats, gloves – work + medical, goggles, kneepads, N95 masks, etc.)   (5) your issued FRS radio…there will be follow up e-mail messages informing you of how the radio should be set up for the exercise

If you can participate, we would ask if you could please respond to this Eventbrite RSVP link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hamann-park-cert-annual-disaster-simulation-drill-training-tickets-60791432812

This will insure that the Hamann Park CERT leadership knows exactly how many Saratoga CERT members will be participating in the exercise.

This will be a great learning experience for all exercise attendees. Campbell CERT is widely known throughout the Santa Clara Valley as having one of the most knowledgeable, well-organized, and professional CERT teams.

New Agenda items:

1. Event Update by Jessica

         –May Leadership Meeting

         –Upcoming Events/Trainings/Exercises

        –Quick Tips from Stop the Bleed and Fire Hardening Courses

• Chuck Rader will cover:

(1) CERT identification, apparel and personal protective equipment required upon activation

(2) specific actions to be taken by CERT members after a major magnitude earthquake

(3) potential use of Saratoga CERT members after disasters and incidents other than a major earthquake

(4) City of Saratoga CERT caches

(5) “Go” backpack recommended equipment and items

(6) fundamentals of CERT incident command

If time permits, we may start covering:

  (7) establishment and operation of a CERT divisional incident command post (ICP)

In attendance: Jessica Fullmer, Raji Lukkoor, Peter Commandeur, Sussane Von Stern, Chuck Rader (Cox div guest attendee)

Date: April 29, 2019

Test FRS radios

Raji bought a new Motorola radio model T460

Today’s exercise was successful. Range was between Bucknall & Grimsby and Westmont & SubAcute hospital

Radio etiquette: Identify your name & affiliation

      Next Exercise: Call by phone first; then radio to check range

Maps: Marked out member homes

Laminate: San Jose Blurprint in downtown San Jose, Nikos Media in Milpitas, kinko’s

Chuck to call and ask for laminate with grommets pricing

Membership Recruitment: Attend a PEP class. Upcoming in Los Gatos on May 9; table at Rotary Art Show

Events Update:

-May 23 citywide CERT mtg at 5:30pm

-June 1 Campbell’s Annual Disaster Simulation Drill & Training exercise at Hamman Park, 10:00am – 4:00pm

-Saturday June 22: City of Saratoga CERT Shelter Simulation exercise @ Joan Pisani Ctr; time tbd

-Car show: on Sunday, July 28; need 2-3 volunteers per time slot, including set up and tear down

Chuck’s Update:

Means of Activation during a disaster:

-AlertSCC: text, cellphone and landline voicemail, email

-Broadcast radio: AM and FM channels – City of Saratoga 1610 kHz AM

Regular Broadcast KCBS 740 kHz AM

KFRC 106.9 MHz FM

KSJO 92.3 MHz FM

-Ham #: Hams operators will contact City EOC via the Ham network

Pre-activation response activation:

-checkout yourself, your family, your neighbors, neighbors at risk (special needs, elderly, alone)

-start your neighborhood assessments (unofficial)

-have a hand-held AM/FM band radio listening for messages

(Buy a radio with batteries and a crank)

Formal Activation deployment activities:

-Pre-identify teams (incident commanders)

-walk thru your areas of responsibility and note

-Establish Incident Command post and field medical treatment area: El Quito Park for Quito and Gardiner Park for WV (Chuck to talk to Chrystal about permission to use parks)

-Have a mini-cache at ICP; maintain cache in a caged area or area with chain link

Mini-cache contents: material to set up ICP, generators, medical supplies, tarps

General Comments:

Medical aspect of neighborhood assessment: Sect 6.1

Major structural damage

Ruptured gas lines

Major fire

Mass casualty situation

On secondary disasters, CERT will be activated to man shelters.

Action Item: Read thru the draft EOP.

Next Steps:

Chuck’s training update to be continued…

Next Mtg: Wednesday, May 22 @ 6:30pm mtg

Members to connect by phone for radio exercise at 5:30pm 

Meeting held on Thursday, 04 April 2019 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:55 p.m. at the home of Lori Stafford.

Saratoga Cox CERT Division meeting attendees were the following:

1. Tom Baker
2. Uma Challa
3. Debbie Ellis
4. Kevin Marques (19 May 2019 CERT Academy graduate)
5. Peter Melhus
6. Chuck Rader
7. Brad Silveria
8. Lori Stafford
9. Lyle Topham
10. Jeff Walker

Discussion items:

• The results of the first monthly Cox CERT Division FRS radio check-in drill conducted on Monday evening, 01 April 2019, were discussed by Peter Melhus. A total of eight divisional members were successful in checking in with the simulated CERT Incident Command Post (manned by Peter Melhus as our initial drill Net Control) at Kevin Moran Park. Three members were not able to establish contact with the simulated ICP. These were Debbie Ellis and Jack Griswold in the Saratoga Woods neighborhood and Kevin Marques in the eastern side of the Brookview neighborhood. All three of these attempted – and unsuccessful – contacts replicated what was seen in the prior maximum-range FRS radio experiment conducted by Peter Melhus, Chuck Rader and Brad Silveria on Friday, 01 February 2019. That experiment – and the 01 April check-in drill – confirmed that CERT team members living in the far extremes of the divisional AOR, and attempting radio contact with a CERT Incident Command Post in Kevin Moran Park, will not be able to establish direct communications via FRS radio. Instead, they will need to work through an intermediate relay contact to get their message traffic into the ICP.

The next monthly FRS radio check-in drill will be conducted on Monday, 06 May 2019, at 7:30 p.m. Chuck Rader will act as Net Control for this month’s exercise, and will again be positioned at the simulated ICP in Kevin Moran Park. All participating divisional team members will log whether they (1) were successful in reaching Net Control, along with logging (2) who they heard on Channel 11 test frequency and (3) whether they were able to act successfully as an intermediate relay contact for more distant FRS operators.

In an effort to determine if a successful FRS radio “bridge” can be established with our more distant members in both Saratoga Woods and the eastern side of the Brookview neighborhood, Peter Melhus will position himself at the intersection of Titus Avenue and Bellwood Drive to act as an intermediately-positioned FRS relay “station.” 

Future monthly check-in drills will be conducted on the first Monday of every month, unless the group decides differently.

• A review of all upcoming CERT-related training and exercises for the next 90 days was discussed. Please see the other attachment to this e-mailed minutes document.

• Training was continued from the Cox CERT Division Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Training topics included:  
  • conclusion of discussion on CERT activation (mobilization) and initial post-activation activities
  • CERT apparel, identification, and personal protective equipment
  • City of Saratoga CERT caches and the need for “mini-caches” of “starter” material at identified locations earmarked for CERT incident command posts
  • “go” backpack organization and recommended contents

              Training topics for the next monthly divisional meeting include:

1. CERT incident command: what it means and the responsibilities of the CERT Incident Commander
   1. the establishment and operations of a CERT incident command post
   1. additional staffing requirements to fully man a CERT incident command post, and the responsibilities of these other ICP members
   1. area hazards assessment for the Cox CERT area of responsibility
   1. use of Saratoga CERT members after disasters or incidents other than a major magnitude earthquake

ACTION ITEM(S)

• Chuck Rader to contact Michael Taylor and Crystal Bothelio in regard to the

FEMA/California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services monetary grant under the “CERT Capacity Building RFA” program. This program makes available a total of $9.5 million, to be divided among registered California CERT programs and County CERT programs as grants through an RFA process.  The grants will be tied to deliverables for the California for All Emergency Preparedness Campaign.  The RFA will be released on 03 April 2019 with an application due date of 09 May 2019.  Programs will have from June 2019 to January 2021 to expend the grant funds.  All CERT programs in California that are registered on the FEMA CERT website (of which the City of Saratoga CERT program is one) will be eligible to request grant funding.

            A proposal would be for this grant money to be used by the City of Saratoga

            to purchase:

1. medical supplies promoted during the “Stop the Bleed” training, such as C.A.T. Gen 7 tourniquets, QuikClot, NuStat or Celox Z-fold bleeding control dressings (hemostatic gauze), and H&H flat-fold compression bandages.
2. storage sheds, storage boxes and any fencing requirements for divisional “mini-caches” at identified divisional incident command post sites (i.e., El Quito Park, Kevin Moran Park, etc.)
3. additional “general-purpose” CERT supplies for the main cache locations

CARRY-OVER ACTION ITEMS FROM THE FEBRUARY DIVISIONAL MEETING:

• Chuck Rader to research the role the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner and federal DMORT resources have in addressing the deceased after a major-magnitude earthquake.

• Chuck Rader to research the possibility of using Church of the Ascension Catholic Church and Congregation Beth David Jewish Synagogue as inclement weatherCERT medical treatment sites.

• Chuck Rader to continue discussions with the City of Saratoga on establishing a “subset” cache of immediate response CERT materials and equipment on the grounds of Kevin Moran Park.

NEXT COX CERT DIVISIONAL MEETING:

        Monday, 13 May 2019, from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 7:45 p.m.

        location: Lori Stafford’s house at 19850 Kane Court, Saratoga, CA

In attendance: Davina Morgan-Witts, Caron Whitacre, Marion Yager, Bob Yager, Susan Schwaderer, Ray Froess, Betty Froess, William Brooks, Candy Brooks, Craig Pietrow, Tina Hubbard, Sally Suckow, John Suckow, Stephen Ng, Chuck Rader (Cox Division)

Minutes

1. Craig Pietrow distributed FRS radios to those with DSW cards who do not have a radio.

If you have not yet got a Disaster Service Worker card, please get one soon as you will not be eligible to be activated without one. Contact Lori McKenna in the City’s planning office: http://saratogacert.org/documents/

2. If you are in need of CERT-related equipment, including a radio, contact Craig direct (email address removed when posting online).

3.The meeting discussed upcoming training opportunities, in particular STOP THE BLEED on April 25. Please sign up at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saratoga-stop-the-bleed-tickets-58746913600
at the time of writing there are 4 seats left for the early session, and 13 for the later one.

Other training opportunities are in the monthly Saratoga CERT newsletter, and in the attached handouts:
– 2019 CERT Refresher Training
– Additional Training Opportunities
Please attend all that you can.

4. There are six CERT Academies each year, one in each of the cities in the Santa Clara County Fire Department. Saratoga’s event runs April 30 – May 19. Please encourage friends and neighbors to sign up, particularly those already involved with Neighborhood Watch.

5. The meeting discussed, and Davina later distributed, information on the location of our emergency cache, and other relevant division information including contact information for all active members of the division.

7. Marion Yager volunteered to be deputy logistics supporting William Brooks. Thank you Marion! Our division is in need of a deputy or co-lead to support Davina.

8. Chuck Rader led the group in a focused training session on the first section of the Emergency Operations Plan for Cox Division. He has graciously agreed to lead future sessions covering the remainder of the EOP. Volunteers are needed to help develop Argonaut CERT’s own division EOP. This will be relatively easy as we can build on the work already done by Cox division, editing only the elements that are specific to our division, such as location of cache(s), meeting points, etc. Please contact Davina if you are able to help.

Now available on our RESOURCES page