Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is an excellent program that CVCBD happens to be involved with. There are other teams throughout Baltimore City and nationwide. I have been through the 4 basic training sessions conducted by the Fire Department, and they are very worthwhile. My hope is that we eventually will have enough CERT members to form teams in all of the Charles Village neighborhoods. Waverly has a team, albeit a small one, and if CVCBD ceases to exist, CERT will continue in Charles Village.
The Red Cross training in shelter management on May 24 will include two people from SS Philip and James Church, and there will be a meeting the following day to work out logistics of a shelter at the church. Cots, etc. will be prepositioned there. We want to be ready if, for example, a hurricane with a 30 foot surge tide should come up the Bay (Isabel was 8 feet, but more recent studies say that 30 feet is possible). The entire Inner Harbor area, Fells Point, Canton and other areas hopefully would be evacuated before the surge tide hit; we want to be ready to shelter those who would come to our much higher ground. And we do not really know how well our 100 year old row houses will hold up to extreme winds. The point of CERT is to be ready for an emergency which is so large that the normal emergency services (Fire, Police, Red Cross, from Baltimore City and surrounding areas) are insufficient, at least for a while. We need to be ready to help ourselves and our neighbors. FEMA is funding CERT because of possible terrorism, but natural disasters are equally possible. And we are in a period of more hurricanes which, because of global warming, are more severe hurricanes. If you are interested in joining our CERT group, contact Bob Brinkman. He has been doing an excellent job of coordinating our CERT group. Steve. Bob Brinkman wrote: > Anne, Steve and others, > Please forward this CERT announcement to appropriate folks. > Thanks, > Bob Brinkman > Community Liaison > 410-235-4411 x13 > > The Charles Village Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is recruiting > new members. CERT members will respond/assist in the event of an > emergency/disaster. Current members have completed the 4 initial training > sessions to become part of the team. These sessions are repeated frequently > for new groups and new members of established groups. The next ones will be > held @ Morgan State University and also in the Northern Park Heights area. > You can join the team as a "provisional" member pending training. Roles > include shelter operation, logistics, planning, volunteer management, > triage, traffic control, search and rescue, etc. > > Some of us are undergoing additional training, not covered in the initial 4 > Training and Orientation sessions. Provisional members are eligible to > attend these additional trainings. One day training in "traffic control" - > flagging certification- dates are Sat., May 13, Sat. May 27, & Sun. June 11. > Times are 8am-12. > > On May 24, the American Red Cross will be teaching a class on shelter > management at CERT headquarters (1301 Chesapeake Ave, 21225) Class hours are > 9:00am until 5:00pm. Participants in this class will receive a certificate. > The class can only accommodate twenty people. Please RSVP to Bernadette > Chambers at 410 396-6188 or 410 396-6182. Or let me (Bob Brinkman > 410-235-4411 x13) know and we can coordinate transportation needs. > > [From CERT Headquarters] - Mark your calendars. On June 3 at 1301 Chesapeake > Ave; Fairfield 21225 (CERT Headquarters) at 9:00 am there will be a dumpster > dropped off so that we are able to clean up around the property. This is > also an opportunity to meet other CERT team members and exchange ideas. > > To join or for more info contact: > Bob Brinkman > Charles Village Community Benefits District > Community Liaison > 410-235-4411 x13 > _______________________________________________ Chat mailing list Chat@charlesvillage.info http://charlesvillage.info/mailman/listinfo/chat_charlesvillage.info
