D R A F T - A WORK IN PROGRESS

Newport News Ivystone Community Emergency Response Team

NNIVYCERT or N2IVCERT for short!`


I.  DETERMINE INVOLVEMENT - II.  PERSONAL FAMILY READINESS

CONNECTIONS - SAFE SPACE - WHISTLE - MAP  - OFFICIAL CERT TEAM - ADJUNCT VOLUNTEERS - INFORMATION POOL - DESIGNATED AREAS

III. CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS CERT CONNECTIONS - IV.  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY


Overview

In the event of an emergency that overextends the Fire Department First Response resources of Newport News a CERT program of volunteers has been organized to fill the gap temporarily.  Teams are trained and partially equipped by the City of Newport News to engage in wide range of activities that include Search and Rescue operations when required.  It is envisioned that teams will be augmented by Adjunct Volunteers from the effected neighborhood who are fit and and ready to perform needed assisting tasks that do not necessarily require complete training.

Joe and Elizabeth Lacroix live at 809 Greystone Trace and have been trained by the City to perform the necessary functions and will, at least, temporarily act as Team Leaders for the Ivystone community in the event of an emergency.

If you haven't seen Joe and Elizabeth around the neighborhood, you have likely seen their BIG RED Suburban.  This family team has completed the training and played key roles in the last two Peninsula CERT Exercises.  In addition they have contributed their time, talent, and company resources to improve the CERT program in the City of Newport News.  They are available to help you better understand the program and will put you in touch with the right City resources if you choose to pursue this vital community role. 



I.  DETERMINE INVOLVEMENT.

        A.  LINK TO THE IVYSTONE CERT COMMUNITY.

One of the first efforts will be to account for all people in the community.  If and when CERTs begin a Search and Rescue operation, it will be paramount that they account for everyone on site.  If a house is supposed to have 5 people on premises, CERTs will make every effort to find all 5 people at leach location or adjust their accounting based on information obtained by a knowledgeable resident.  If becomes important that every household report numbers and keep them updated in the event of an eminent emergency.  The primary vehicle for that reporting pre-emergency is email or Twitter. 

In addition residents are encouraged to create their own emergency kit and food and water supply for at least 5 to 10 days depending on the probable emergency situation.  Preparedness checklists can be DOWNLOADED or are available for the asking. 
 

        B.  DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF FUTURE INVOLVEMENT.

            There are three categories of potential future involvement:

            1.  No Involvement. Of course the option of "No Involvement" is always open.  In the event of an emergency the pressures of the conditions at the time may encourage involvement at that time.  The CERT Team is always open to this eventuality. 

            2.  Volunteering at the Time of Emergency.  The more advanced training and preparation a resident receives, the better able the CERT Team will be to involve that person effectively.  Even limited training pre-emergency is desirable.  Volunteers with marginal preparation can be engaged in simple recordkeeping, emergency supply and equipment oversight, victim transport, and even directing traffic. 

            3.  Volunteering and Preparing as Adjunct Volunteers Before an Emergency is Eminent.  Adjunct Volunteers have registered a commitment to serve in a needed capacity well before an emergency situation presents itself.  They are available for limited in-community training and regular communications drills as part of the preparedness commitment.  Adjunct Volunteers will be used in positions that "track" neighbors that come and go in a specific section of the community so that, in an emergency the CERT Team will know the houses that are Vacant, have residents that may require special assistance (for a variety of reasons), and generally know the number of regular residents in a particular house.  The may also be in charge of "areas" designated for victim medical treatment, logistics distribution and collection points, CERT Team rest and recovery, Twitter and Radio Traffic monitoring, as well as managing Message Center requirements that fill a gap for those without electronic resources OR maintaining communications with the Newport News authorities.

            4.  Volunteering to become a bone fide City of Newport News CERT.  At the top of the Ivystone Community is a CERT Team.  Team members have been trained by local authorities to perform role consistent with accepted Department of Homeland Security and Newport News authorities.  Those who desire this level of involvement must attend a basic course which prepares and partially equips them to perform duties expected in an emergency.  Class for basic certification normally last three hours one evening a week for two months.  The training is conducted at the CERT Training Center at the South Morrison facility.  Candidates must pass a background check and the completion of required paperwork.  That will likely be augmented by periodic refresher classes that extend and refine their knowledge and abilities.  Classes are usually held in the Fall and Spring months.  The contact information is at the end of this page. 

The Current Signup Link:  http://www.nngov.com/emergency-management/spotlights/newport-news-recruits-citizens-to-help-with-disaster-preparedness


        C.  DETERMINE AND ACT ON YOUR VOLUNTEER READINESS IF AND WHEN NEEDED. 

            It will be highly desirable for every member of the Ivystone community to determine the extent of their involvement and let that be known to a Core Ivystone CERT Team member using the contact information at the bottom of this page.  Any commitment can be altered at any time based on the availability of the resident. 

 

        D.  TRANSITION TO COLLECTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD CERT CONDITIONS. 

Communications will be a critical part of any Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) operation.  Certainly getting accurate information through television and radio channels devoted to emergency conditions in the area is essential, but potentially of equal or greater importance will be the necessity to communicate with CERT members devoted to neighborhood immediate concerns.  The conditions will likely engage cell phone communications and even two-way radio communications. 

Pictured here are receivers only, and two different types of transceivers for personal use. 

Volunteers will undergo simplified radio training that may prove essential in an emergency.  Volunteers will be encouraged to purchase their own hand-help transceivers for their personal use.  Purchase is recommended to assure compatibility between them and an existing radio network. 

In the absence of a personal purchase, some radio equipment may be available on a load basis. 

Communications will follow a simple discipline, "This is IV Alpha Jeff calling IV Incident Command, over."  The Incident Commander will return the call by broadcasting, "This is Incident Command to Alpha Jeff, over."

Subsequent calls will transmit information concerning conditions found in the neighborhood so that status records can be maintained and passed on to higher levels of command for appropriate response as resources allow. 

In extreme conditions, the higher level of command may release the neighborhood to proceed at it's own discretion thus potentially demanding that transport to an appropriate facility will be completed by Volunteers training and ready for that eventuality. 

 

II.  PERSONAL FAMILY READINESS.

        A.  SAFE ROOM SELECTION.

                The selection of a "Safe Room" in your home would be on the ground floor, away from external walls, and support temporary living quarters for a brief period.  Many will find that a large closet, or bathroom will meet these requirements satisfactorily. 
 

        B.  WHISTLE AND INFORMATION CARD PLACEMENT. 

                CERTs are trained to listen carefully for a whistle sound following an emergency where damage has been done to structure.  As people locate themselves in a "SAFE ROOM" within their homes it is possible that the structure surrounding them may make it difficult or even impossible for them to get out without assistance.     

The whistle provides an excellent device to attract attention, especially when responders are keyed to listen for that sound.
 
                              

We recommend that the whistle and card with information be stored in the "SAFE SPACE" so that it is readily available.  Rather than a constant whistle sound it is recommended that some down time be taken between sounding the whistle. 

In some instances CERT's looking for survivors will use their whistle to sound an alarm and wait silently for a brief period while listening for a response. 

The information card contains some information that might enable you to communicate with CERT's - cell phone numbers, Twitter hashtags, even emails.  Do not hesitate to use these resources. 

This website will provide a downloadable facsimile of the card information.  If time permits, download a fresh or duplicate copy to be certain you have current information.


        C.  STUDY THE IVYSTONE MAP AND AREA DESIGNATIONS.

The facsimile below provides a community map that will be used by CERT's to establish priorities.  Prior to an emergency situation be sure to DOWNLOAD a current map that will have up-to-date information available on it. 

Use this map to identify areas where your help may be needed if you are able to volunteer as an Adjunct Assistant to the primary CERT Team. 

 Areas on the map may be identified as a place where you might be able to drop off needed resources that include needed tools and/or first aid kits (see the resource list for specifics). 

Areas will also be identified where the injured in need of additional attention will assemble to that transport teams can more readily move them to local facilities such as clinics, or hospitals. 
 

        D.  CREATE AN EMERGENCY KIT FOR HOME/PERSONAL USE.

Give serious thought to what you think you will need in an "emergency kit" and begin to assemble those items centrally so they can be stored in a place that is safe and easily accessed.  We suggest that it be stored in a suitcase or similar container so that in the event an evacuation is ordered, it can easily be loaded.  The primary point is not to wait until the last minute to gather items from places across your home. 

Pictured is our "emergency kit" in the suitcase ready for travel and also displayed unloaded for an annual inspection.  We tend to inspect the emergency kits at the same time of the year that we replace the batteries in the fire warning system in our home.  It is also the start of the three month cycle for changing filters in the home heating and air conditioning system. 

There is a separate travel case for medicines and snacks that fills the gap between an emergency and the all-clear signals.  

We also have a 10-day supply of food available in a safe area in the garage and a vault for important papers and related documents.

There are plenty of checklists that can be DOWNLOADED and contain most of the items you will need, but so not hesitate to add items of your own choosing to be as comfortable as possible.  One checklist advises that your food store contain a reasonable amount of "customary" foods items so that in an emergency you will have some sense of normal.  We also have a generator and portable refrigeration unit to help us through. 

It will be important that the emergency kit contains battery operated radios that allow permit listening to local conditions to determine an impact on the next steps: stay in place, or evacuate. 

If evacuation is not recommended (or it is too late to evacuate, the emergency kit needs to provide to reasonable protection and physical safety.  Use the last few hours or minutes to fill containers with fresh water. 


        E.  KNOW EVACUATION ROUTES.

 

        F.  DETERMINE AN OUT-OF-TOWN MEETING PLACE.

 

        G.  CREATE AND UPDATE A CONTACT LIST REGULARLY.

 

        H.  CREATE AND UPDATE A MEDICATIONS LIST. 

 

        I.  WEATHER AND EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

 

III.  CITY OF NEWPORT NEWS RESOURCES AND REFERENCES.

        A.  TRAINING.

 

        B.  RESOURCES.

 

IV.  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. 

        A.  STATE OF VIRGINIA.

 

        B.  NATIONAL LEVEL. 


Connections Card - DOWNLOAD WALLET SIZE

Joe and Elizabeth Lacroix
Core Ivystone CERT Team
(757) 880-9430 - ltodi@aol.com
Twitter:  @RGBPROZONE

Dana Perry
CERT Program Director
NN Division of Emergency Management
dperry@nngov.com
(757) ###-####