Emergency Preparedness Event Oct.16, 10am-12pm 2011
Welcome! Today we will tour the Panoramic Hill Emergency Cache and talk about ongoing emergency preparedness classes offered by the cities of Berkeley and Oakland. (See course descriptions on back.)
Take emergency courses and be prepared! Basic skills are easy to master and the classes are fun. Take the classes with neighbors and friends! Important URLs:
City of Berkeley — Emergency Preparedness
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/getready/
City of Berkeley — CERT Training Description/Schedule
http://www.cityofberkeley.info/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=57314
City of Oakland — CORE Emergency Preparedness
http://www.oaklandnet.com/fire/core/index.html
Panoramic Hill Association
http://panoramichill.org/
The Panoramic Hill Emergency Cache is part of an extensive network of cache boxes throughout Berkeley neighborhoods. The contents have been donated by the City of Berkeley and by Panoramic Hill residents to be used for the common good. In the event of a major earthquake or other crisis, neighborhoods may be without basic services for weeks. Access to Panoramic Hill may be impossible due to fallen trees, downed power lines and other destruction.
The cache provides tools to fight fires, mount search and rescue operations, and treat basic medical emergencies when professional services are not available. NOTE: The cache does not provide food or water. Every household should have its own supply of these items in an emergency kit.
THERE ARE 5 CACHE BOXES CONTAINING: Fire Fighting Equipment, Search and Rescue Equipment, General Equipment (radios, tarps, ropes), First Aid, and Emergency Generator.
A group of neighbors on Panoramic Hill have keys to the cache boxes. These neighbors have completed a series of emergency preparedness courses (CERT) offered by the city of Berkeley. The courses are mandatory in order to become a cache key holder.
In the event of a major crisis, cache key holders have agreed to meet at the cache boxes and coordinate group efforts in search and rescue, structure damage assessment, fire suppression and more. In the event of a major emergency, (after you have checked the safety of family, immediate neighbors and structures), come to the cache boxes and organize into groups to assist other neighbors.
Over the next year there will be a series of short 1/2 hour drills on Panoramic Hill. These drills will introduce preparedness topics and allow neighbors to practice emergency skills. Sign up for email alerts on the Panoramic Hill website, www.panoramichill.org .
The first drill will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10th at 10am. It is titled “What Now?” Please contact Jordan Hayes for more information at jordan@infothecary.org. Meet at the cache.
City of Berkeley Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) Class Descriptions/See city website for ongoing schedules
Disaster Preparedness This class covers how to take care of yourself, your family and your home. It discusses impact on infrastructure, structural and nonstructural hazards, home and workplace preparedness, and community preparedness.
Disaster Medical Operations Learn how to apply basic first aid techniques, give initial care to the seriously injured, and stabilize victims until emergency medical services are available. Participants practice opening airways, head to toe exams, making splints, and how to treat for shock. Although this is not a CPR class, it will help to prepare the participants in the use of first aid in a multi-casualty situation in which the usual emergency medical responders are overwhelmed during the first hours or days following a disaster and are unable to attend to everyone needing help.
Light Search and Rescue Operations Learn how to identify signs of structural damage, search for people, apply basic rescue techniques, and remove heavy objects from trapped victims. Participants learn cribbing and perform a search exercise in the fire tower.
Fire Safety Learn how to put out small fires, what to do during a fire, and how to prevent injuries and protect your home. Participants receive hands-on practice on the use of fire extinguishers and of a fire hose.
CERT Organization Learn about the objectives of CERT, decision making, and documentation. CERT Organization is based on the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS is a flexible and scalable response organizational framework designed to improve emergency response operations. This class is an introduction to the system and to how it can be utilized in your neighborhood to improve and organize teamwork in a disaster situation.
CERT Radio Communications Learn about Family Radio Service (FRS) radios, sometimes referred to as walkie-talkies, and how they can be utilized in an emergency response in your neighborhood or community group. This class will cover an introduction to FRS radio operation and good radio communication practices. If you have an FRS radio, please bring it to the class to get some hands-on practice.
Disaster Psychology David Wee, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and City of Berkeley employee, teaches participants about disaster-related emotional reactions. The class includes role-playing and a four-step guide to a healing conversation.
Red Cross Shelter Operations American Red Cross volunteers teach participants how to open, operate and close a shelter, and how to organize the facility and its resources to meet the needs of the people in the shelter.
Sarah Bade, sbade@stickstones.com
8 Panoramic Place
