We Have Radios!

Yes, the CERT Auxiliary has MURS radios available at a discount. These are the new, Version 2 edition of the radio and are programmed for use by CERTs. Thanks to Roberta Joiner for programming them.

These radios are available to CERTs at a nice price of $60 each. On Amazon they sell for $70 plus tax. A wonderful discount. Interested? Contact Mary Edmund or Joyce Smith.

The Communications Corner

The storms this winter, and accompanying power outages, once again reminds us of the importance of other means of communication when phones and internet are not available.

Roberta Joiner, our CERT Communications Coordinator, offers several opportunities for CERTs to become more familiar and comfortable with team communication.

Monthly Communications meeting (on Zoom):

4th Monday of the month 7:00 - 8:00 pm

• Monday Feb. 26th - Zoom (open to all)
• Monday Mar. 25th - In Person at County EOC or Zoom TBD (will be announced ahead of time)
• Monday April 22nd - location TBD

ZOOM MEETING LINK

CERT MURS Radio Learning Exchange

Sunday, March 3, 2024 1:30 pm to 3:00pm

at Skypark, 361 Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley

This will be an in-person, hands on class, for those who may be new to CERT, unfamiliar with our MURS radio or uncertain about how to use it.  Those who have more experience using MURS radios are welcome to attend, refresh their skills and assist with those who are new.

For details, go to the Registration page linked below.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

CERT Basic Training - open to all

Great review for current CERTs as well

• Loma Prieta Elementary, Loma Prieta. 4 Thursday evenings and one full Saturday. Begins Thursday, April 18

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Stop the Bleed

Open to CERTs and non-CERTs. This is a training every community member should take.

Upcoming 2- hour classes

Where: Central Fire Community Room, Live Oak

When : 10 am - Noon, Saturday March 30th

In this STOP THE BLEED course, you’ll learn three quick techniques to help save a life before someone bleeds out:

(1) Direct pressure

(2) Packing a wound

(3) How to correctly apply a tourniquet.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

After taking the Basic Training course, what should a CERT member know before they are activated as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW)? The Basic Training course teaches us how to support ourselves, family and neighborhood in the event of a disaster but does not teach all the skills needed to operate with local government agencies or first responders. We have developed four modules to teach a DSW about the organization that they work under, personal safety, effective communications, and emergency medical skills. These classes do NOT have to be taken in order. Module 1 was taught in January. All 4 modules will be repeated in the fall.

All DSW CERTs who complete the full 4-module series will be recognized for their advanced training.

Module 2 will be taught by John Collins, CERT Planning Chief, in person on Wednesday, February 28 from 7 - 9 PM in Live Oak.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

Module 3 will be taught by John Collins, CERT Planning Chief, in person on Wednesday, March 20 from 7 - 9 PM.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

Module 4 will be taught by RNs Mary Edmund and JoMarie Faulkerson, in person on Wednesday, April 17 from 7 - 9 PM in Live Oak.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

Incident Command System: IS 100

Saturday, March 30th 1-4 PM, Live Oak

Struggling to complete the Santa Cruz County CERT required FEMA IS-100 course (Introduction to the Incident Command System)?

Let's work together. The FEMA course slides will be projected on large screen and as a group we will complete the required course.

Students bring their personal computers and will then take the required test independently. Students will need to set up/retrieve a FEMA Student ID prior to attending.

For details and to register, CLICK HERE.