Thank you to Pat Knowles, members of the Logistics Committee, and the Team Captains who completed a successful Team Kit Pick Up May 22. Having these supplies in our neighborhoods might prove invaluable, should a storm hit our area. Thanks, too, to Jack Kerber who programmed Incident Command radios as Team Kits were being loaded into vehicles.

President, LWR CERT

Dr. Terry Clekis, Medical Director and co-owner of Braden River Animal Hospital, enlightened almost 60 members at our May Member meeting about the best ways to deal with animals during stormy times. Thanks to Jan Kuhn for arranging for Dr. Clekis' presentation.

After Hurricane Katrina, more than 70,000 pets were separated from their families! As a result, the PETS Act, a federal law, was passed that requires states, cities and counties to enact disaster plans that "account for the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals, before, during and following a major disaster or emergency" before they can receive any federal funding. This encourages pet-friendly shelters. FEMA is also permitted to reimburse state and local governments for rescuing, caring for, and sheltering animals in an emergency. It does not require hotels and motels to accept animals.

Dr. Clekis' Top Tip for Pet Owners: Microchips are extremely important. You are far more likely to be reunited with a pet if it has a microchip. Make sure the contact information on your pet's microchip is up to date with your latest contact information. This is usually done through the microchip manufacturer. A vet's office can help you identify your pets' microchip manufacturer.

Thanks to Board member Valerie Stafford-Mallis for providing these supplemental pet prep resources:

LWR CERT President Jim Emanuelson provided information about LWR CERT, the benefits of membership and how area residents can become members. Pat Knowles, LWR CERT Board member, presented a wealth of hurricane preparedness information, including how to determine whether you and your family should stay or go when a hurricane is forecast for the LWR area.

The 75-minute session was recorded and is available on the LWR CERT YouTube channel or by clicking on the accompanying graphic.

During the May Member Meeting, board member and Operations Manager Dave Cashbaugh reviewed the feedback from the April 16 Hurricane Athena activation exercise.

The exercise was planned to provide a review of Readiness Conditions (RC) 1 through 4 as well as the actions to take for each RC. The entire organization also practiced the activation process from sending and receiving emails and texts to radio procedures.

More than 90% of our members were contacted by their Team Captain and 80% were contacted by their Group Leader -- a testament to the dedication of our TCs and GLs. THANK YOU for your leadership during Hurricane Athena.

More than half of the participants completed a post-exercise survey where they overwhelmingly agreed that the exercise was well organized, the right length and useful. A study of traffic to the LWR CERT website showed more than 279 "hits" to the Member Action pages, with spikes showing up shortly after each Readiness Condition change email was sent to members.

Thank you to all members who participated in the Hurricane Athena exercise and honed in your activation and radio skills. The exercise was a successful test of the LWR CERT Emergency Communications Radio Network. Individual members transmitted and received radio messages on their walkie-walkies to their Group Leaders, who used their IC radios to communicate with their Hubs, who, in turn, relayed information to the Incident Commander and our medical advisor.

Wow! Our members are really engaged this year!

Congratulations to those who earned 2021 Active Responder in May. There are now 128 members in Tier 1 and 60 members in the elite Tier 2!

During Team Kit Pick Up, Team Captains were provided with Active Responder awards for all their team members who earned their statuses in March, April and May. Contact your TC if you earned 2021 Active Responder status and have not yet received your award.

Kathy Combs

Dennis Johnson

Judy Johnson

Judy Williams

Norman Baillie

David Benfer

Robert Dapper

Mel Davis

Margaret Davis

Deborah Jernigan

Karen Lemley

Larry Lemley

Eileen O'Neill

Mike Resetarits

Gerald Toner

Stephen Voutsas

John Waggett

Sheila White

All new members will be instructed to use the Jaw Thrust maneuver during their Basic Training.

Current members should watch the Jaw Thrust Demonstration video by clicking on this link or on the photo to learn how to use the Jaw Thrust maneuver to clear the airway of an unconscious survivor. LWR CERT owns two manikins which can be used to train on this maneuver. Contact Training@LWRCERT.org if you are interested in attending an in-person session to learn the Jaw Thrust maneuver.

The first edition Quick Activation Guide (QAG) has been published and was distributed to Team Captains during Team Kit Pick Up on May 22.

The QAG will serve as a fast reference in the field during activation covering topics such as how to mark a building, recognizing shock, and the 6 steps of triage. Pages devoted to at-a-glance step-by-step guides to the jaw thrust maneuver, how to control bleeding, and using a tourniquet are inside. Dos and don'ts of animal encounters, splinting, treating burns, and dealing with spontaneous volunteers are also included.

TCs were provided with a copy for each of their team members. Contact your TC if you have not yet received your QAG. We recommend you fill in the vital information on the cover and keep your QAG near the top of your backpack for easy, quick access during activation.

Happy June birthday to members Maria Ade, Norma Ballard, Carole Bernard, Mel Davis, Bob Donato, Jim Emanuelson, Kris Hoekman, Irene Jimenez, Laura Lando, David Mills, Ron Ogrodnik, and Stan Schuer.

Refresh Your Backpack - Members are encouraged to empty out their backpacks and review the contents to ensure that supplies are fresh and remain useable. Replacement supplies are available at no cost to members. Send your list of supply replacement needs to your Team Captain, who will coordinate with Pat Knowles, Logistics Manager. You will receive your supplies in a few days.

New Manatee County All-Hazards Disaster Planning Guide - The 2021 edition of the Manatee County guide is available through a link on the hurricane page of the LWR CERT website or by clicking here

FEMA App - Did you know FEMA has an app? It's available in Google Play and Apple App stores. It provides real-time alerts from the National Weather Service for up to 5 locations, a handy Emergency Kit checklist, and tips for reducing your risk. It also helps locate open emergency shelters and provides a way to register for FEMA disaster assistance online.

Have a volunteer opportunity you'd like to share in an upcoming newsletter? Email details and links to: Communications@LWRCERT.org