Zeste C. Debro, Chairman

2011-2012

Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now.

The Sons of The American Legion - Detachment of Georgia have joined forces with The American Legion to actively communicate the important message of "Preparing Makes Sense." Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge comments that "Terrorism forces us to make a choice. We can be afraid. Or, we can be ready." The Detachment of Georgia - Sons of The American Legion encourages every citizen to get prepared.

1. Make an Emergency Supply Kit

All citizens should assemble an emergency supply kit for immediate accessibility in the event of disaster. At least one gallon of water per person per day, as well as kits of canned and dried foods. Be prepared for cold weather and climate with warm clothes and a sleeping bag for each member of the family. Many potential terrorist attacks could send tiny microscopic "junk" into the air and many of these materials can harm - so think about creating a barrier between the contamination and the home. It's smart to have something for each member of the family that covers the mouth and nose - and don't forget the needs of your pets.

2. Make a Family Communications Plan

Develop a Family Communications Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations. Consider a plan where each family member calls, or e-mails the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-state contact may be a matter of survival.

Create a Plan to Shelter-in Place. There are circumstances where staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process knows as "shelter-in-place" can be a matter of survival. Choose an interior room or one with as few windows and doors as possible. Consider precutting plastic sheeting to seal windows, doors and air vents.

Create a Plan to Get Away. Plan in advance how you will assemble your family and anticipate where you will go. Choose several destinations in different directions so you have options in an emergency. Become familiar with alternate routes as well as other means of transportation out of your area. If you do not have a car, plan how to get away. Take your emergency supply kit with you. If you believe the air could be contaminated, drive with the windows and vents closed and keep the air conditioning and heater turned off. Listen to the radio for instructions.

Plans at School and Work. Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places your family frequents. Talk to your children's schools and your employer about emergency plans. Find out how they will communicate with families during and emergency. A community working together during an emergency also makes sense. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together!

3. Be Informed

Some of the things you can do is to develop an emergency kit and develop a family communications plan...but it's also important to be aware of potential terrorist threats, such as biological, chemical, explosive, nuclear and radiological, that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take.

Call: 1-800-BE-READY (1-800-237-3239) for a free brochure or go to www.ready.gov to learn about potential terrorist threats.

4. Remain Calm

Be prepared to adapt this information to your personal environment. It's important to follow instructions received from authorities on the scene. Above all, stay calm, be patient and think before you act. With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected. Get ready now.

FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) National Program Office is pleased to announce the release of updated materials for the CERT Basic Training course.
What are the changes? The updated course is the same effective training as before, with the units and topics organized in the same way. However, edits were made throughout all of the course materials including the Participant Manual, Instructor Guide, and the PowerPoint files. These changes are intended to assure that protocols are up-to-date and that the content is as clear as possible for those taking the training. Since there are many edits throughout the training, CERT instructors are encouraged to review all of the updated materials.
Who made the changes? To update the Basic Training, FEMA worked with a panel of 12 experienced CERT trainers from across the country, followed by a review by local CERT programs designated by the CERT or CERT/Citizen Corps coordinator in each state. FEMA senior leadership and FEMA’s technical review team also reviewed and commented on the updated material. We are grateful for the time and effort from state and local programs that went into this update!
Where can I find the new material? The course files are now available on the national CERT website. Please visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert and click on "Training Materials" to access documents in PDF or Word. On the website you will also find the updated Participant Manual in low vision format. If your local CERT program will need the Participant Manual in Braille, please contact your State Program Manager. State Program Managers can email the CERT National Office with numbers on a state by state basis.
Please note that the updated Instructor Guide references a series of videos that CERT trainers may want to use when they conduct the Basic Training course. These videos are available on the website by clicking on "Video Material" on the home page.
What comes next? Later this year, the CERT National Office will be posting a new CERT Train-the-Trainer course and the new CERT Program Manager course.
Thank you for your continued interest in and support of CERT, and for all you do in preparing for and responding to disasters in your community!
Sincerely,
CERT National Program Office
FEMA Individual & Community Preparedness Division