There is information below for our next public event. Hurricane Prep for LWR Residents will be held on Aug. 27. Please register and invite your neighbors to this free, 90-minute educational event. While it is great that years can pass between major hurricane impacts in our neighborhoods, complacency builds over time. Come join our amazing volunteers on Aug. 27 to learn how you can prepare.

President, LWR CERT

LWR is entering peak hurricane season -- the time of year when Florida has historically seen the most tropical storm and hurricane activity.

A free public education session Hurricane Prep for LWR Residents is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 27 from 9-10:30 AM at LWR Town Hall. It will cover the same information which was shared at our May 10 hurricane prep event.

If you've already attended one of our Hurricane Prep events, you know how impactful they can be. Encourage your neighbors to register for this free educational session. If you haven't been, Aug. 27 is a great way to learn what you need to know to keep you and your family safe, should a hurricane be forecast for LWR>

Click the link below to register up to 4 people or ask your neighbors to visit www.lwrcert.org/events for more info to register on their own.

Lakewood Ranch is always seeking new CERT members. LWR CERT, which covers the CDD area of LWR known as Phase 1, offers Basic Training for everyone in the LWR area.

The next LWR CERT Basic Training course at Town Hall begins Oct. 13. Registration and details at lwrcert.org/join. This will be the last LWR CERT Basic Training offered this year.

With only 120 minutes to refresh the entire Basic Training course, the Training Committee pulled off what seemed like the impossible. On Thursday, July 21, more than two dozen members accepted the Speed Basic Training challenge and completed the 2-hour course.

Hands-on activities included jaw thrust maneuvers; placing survivors in the recovery position; controlling bleeding, proper use of tourniquets; helping administer an EpiPen; splinting using a SAM splint or other available materials; creating a sling from a triangular bandage; stabilizing impaled objects; and setting radio channels and privacy codes.

Attendees also reviewed Readiness Conditions, activation procedures and all 8 sections of the Basic Training manual including CERT size-up, treating shock, triage, disaster psychology, managing a death scene, fire safety, and the Run-Hide-Fight active shooter response (click graphic below to watch the FBI video).

Attendees were awarded special Speed Basic Training course completion badges for their CERT helmets.

Thanks to Training Manager Nigel Pilling and instructors Brenda Nusbaum, Bud Goetzinger, Mike Modisett, Kalena Ostrosky, Pat Knowles, Sharon Defferding, Tim Sherer, and support from Eddie Russell, Hillary Harter, Jim Emanuelson and Ray Arroyo. Based on feedback, this event was a huge success.

LWR CERT Membership Manager Bruce Bedford is also currently serving as Team Captain and Group Leader for Teams 1, 2 and 3 in Riverwalk and Teams 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 in Summerfield! Bruce organized a SVRA-wide team meeting at Summerfield Park the morning of Saturday, July 23 to review plans for the 2022 Hurricane Season with SRVA members. Radio Communications Committee members Frank Giannone and Tim Sherer were on hand to answer questions and help team members with their radios.

Attendees were treated to donuts and beverages as they heard the latest LWR CERT updates and had their activation questions answered. A few attendees were lucky and walked away with door prizes. At the meeting, Maureen Corristan agreed to serve as Team 2 Team Captain. Thank you to Maureen and to all who attended.

Team 8 Team Captain Cynthia Olcott and Alan Blair hosting an evening of Search and Rescue review skills for their team. We heard it was fun, entertaining, and quite informative. Team members learned how important it is to work, discuss, and decide as a team what course of SAFE ACTION they should take before moving on.

Pictured are Mike Staley (left), Paul Jackowski, Alan Blair, Cynthia Olcott, Karen Lily, and Patt Staley.

On the hot, steamy Saturday morning of July 2, Gary Cockfield, Elaine Cockfield, Jean Hritz, Sharon Defferding, and Mike Defferding joined several other residents in cleaning up Lorraine Road as part of Keep Manatee Beautiful 's 1st Saturdays Clean Ups.

Thanks to all your hard work that stretch of Lorraine looks great!

Thank you to retiring Team Captain Connie Farmer (Team 26). We are glad you plan to remain an active LWR CERT member.

Click here to learn how you can earn points toward Active Responder awards or visit the Member Section of our website, www.lwrcert.org.

Happy August birthday to members Bruce Bedford, Mark Burton, Don Diven, Paul Drzal, Kathy Epstein-Leis, Frank Giannone, Jean Hritz, Gordon Kuhn, Don O'Leary, Cindy Peirce, Bill Plerhoples, Rich Raymond, Eddie Russell, and Lorraine Wright.

ERCN Auxiliary Hubs - Radio Communications Committee Manager Bud Goetzinger has been working with two of the newest RCC members, Alan Blair (KQ4BOJ) and Tony Gula (KO4ZWX), to set up their ham radio equipment, so they are ready and prepared to step in to help the LWR CERT Emergency Radio Communications Network when needed.

ECRN Quarterly Test - On Saturday, July 16, the LWR CERT Emergency Radio Communications Network ran a successful scheduled test of their equipment and communications.

Marking a house before entry - LWR CERT backpacks are currently stocked with a marking crayon. During Basic Training, attendees received instruction to only mark a building near the front door if there has been sufficient enough damage that entry is warranted. No marking of every house necessary if there is no damage and if the home was not entered. If windows are broken or there is a reason to enter the home, marking should be done at outlined in the Quick Activation Guide and taught in Basic Training.

Neighborhood Newsletter - Does your neighborhood have a newsletter? Want more neighbors on your team? LWR CERT sends special preview information to Neighborhood Newsletter editors each month, which they can include in their publications. Send your editor's name and email address to cert@lwrcert.org to have them added to our special distribution list.

Shop at Smile.Amazon.com, and Amazon can donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to LWR CERT, at no cost to you.