New Page 1

Gerrish CERT TEAM

The following events are on our calendar and we request your participation.

Wednesday Oct. 7, 2009--Roscommon Public School "Walk-To-School-Day" Event to assist Police with traffic control. This event will be from 7:00am to approximately 9:00am with staging at the Roscommon Elementary School. The parking for CERT members will be on the east side of the school in the parking lot by the baseball field along Route 100. Gerrish Police will transport us to the Post Office area at 7:00am for the start of the event. Please wear your CERT VEST, soft CERT hat, ID tags, appropriate clothing for the weather, and bring your CERT flashlight. I will bring red flashlight cone extensions to assist with directing traffic. We will be using Hi-band radios for communication which will be supplied. Please let me know if you can help ASAP. (Bob, Sharon, Laurie please bring your Hi-band radios).

Tuesday Oct. 20, 2009-- Gerrish CERT Training Class at 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Gerrish Township Hall. The agenda includes: Policy & Procedure, How to respond to Emergency Call-outs and Field Operating Procedures when we arrive at the Staging area, and Police Station Building Procedures when the PD functions as an Emergency Shelter Center. Please advise me ASAP concerning your plans to attend this training event.

Friday and Saturday November 6 & 7, 2009-- CERT Gerrish Township & Region 7 Training at Camp Graying. This expense paid fun-filled Friday night and all day Saturday training event will include: Search & Rescue in an Urban Environment at a Mock Military Village, Compass & Map Reading Orientation, Practical First Aid, Field Radio Communications, and Street/Highway Traffic Control.

This event will involve other Citizen Corps CERT and Fire Corps Teams from the Northern Michigan Area with all training being held at Camp Grayling. Trainers will include: Crawford County Sheriff Wakefield, Paramedic Donna Brown, US Army Officers, Otsego County 911 Director/Emergency Manager Mike Thompson, and others. We have reserved several Army Barracks for overnight lodging Friday night, if desired, or you can drive to Grayling Saturday morning. Meals will include snacks at the Friday night training as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacks on Saturday. Friday night training will begin at 5:30pm and end about 10:00pm. Saturday will begin with Breakfast at 7:00am with the training beginning at 8:00am. The Search and Rescue Simulation will be Saturday afternoon followed by dinner with a de-briefing and wrap-up session scheduled to end by 8:00pm. All expenses will be paid for by Region 7 Citizen Corps. An information page and registration form will be forwarded shortly. Please block out this time on your calendar so you can attend.

___________________________________________________________________________

The group hears the table top details

Gerrish CERT TEAM

Winter Disaster Scenario

This is a reminder to all team members that the Gerrish Township Police Department, Gerrish Township Fire/EMS Department, Gerrish Township CERT Team, and Roscommon County Dispatch Center are conducting our annual Winter Table Top Disaster Simulation Exercise this Saturday February 28, 2009. The exercise will be at the Roscommon Middle School off Co. Rd. 100 and will begin at 9:00am. Please use the main entrance to the school as that will be the only door open. We request you be at the school between 8:30am and 8:45am for coffee and donuts to assure a timely start to the briefing and exercise prior to 9:00am. We will begin sharply at 9:15 a.m. The exercise is expected to last approximately 2 1/2 hours or until about 11:30 a.m. CERT Team members should wear soft hats and vests and bring their two badges. The entire exercise will tale place in various classrooms and in the cafeteria. The initial briefing will begin in the cafeteria.

1. Saturday February 16, 2008 is the planned date for another tabletop disaster simulation to be held in conjunction with the Gerrish Township Police Department, Gerrish Township Fire & EMS Department, Roscommon County Dispatch Center, Roscommon County Haz Mat Team and Gerrish Township CERT Team. This Saturday event is planned to begin at 9:00am and conclude about 12:00 p.m. and will be held at the Gerrish Township Hall. Donuts and coffee will be available to help everyone get going prior to the kickoff meeting at 9:00am. Please advise Elaine or me, as soon as possible whether or not you will be able to attend for planning purposes. Call 821-6481 or email: donel564@charter.net. The only items required are pen, paper, vest, radio, and yourself. We look forward to hearing from you soon and seeing you February 16th.

2. Friday May 2, 3, & 4, 2008: A Citizen Corps Conference for volunteer CERT Team Members is being held in Grayling, Michigan, at the Ramada Inn.

The following note from the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division gives some details:

"Citizen Corps Region 6 and the Michigan State Police-Emergency Management Headquarters Staff Division will be co-hosting the 2008 Citizen Corps Conference: "A Conference Designed for the Front Line Volunteer. The conference is being held at the Ramada Inn in Grayling, Mi and is being held on May 2, 3, and 4. There is no cost (except for a $25 committal fee from each registrant) for 70 volunteers (10 from each region). Their room, meals, and training materials will be covered using unused 2006 Citizen Corps Grant Dollars and a $5000 regional grant allocation from Region 6. "

"Each region can select another 10 volunteers to attend, but there will be a cost of $200 each to attend (again this includes their lodging, meals, and course materials). It is up to the regions to decide whom they send, but only FRONT LINE VOLUNTEERS will be accepted. This conference is not designed for the Fire Fighter, police officer, emergency manager, etc. who oversees a Citizen Corps program (that is what the Homeland Security Conference is for)."

The Northern Michigan Citizen Corps District 7 (of which Gerrish CERT plays a key role) has been allocated 10 positions, and Gerrish CERT Team has requested 2 of these positions with all costs included. We are applying for grant monies to cover the fee of $25.00 for each position. Hopefully this will be approved. If anyone is interested in attending (the Granzines will be unavailable), please see Elaine or me and we will provide additional details. If more than two people volunteer, there will be a drawing for the free positions. Of course, up to 10 others can go if they are each willing to pay $200.00. Please contact us ASAP if you would like to participate so we get the applications submitted soon.

3. Gerrish CERT began training 12 new team members on January 9, 2008. The trainees include a cross section of individuals from the community including five 17 year old students( we need the stamina of these young adults). The training will conclude on February 27, 2008, and will include a realistic simulation on February 20th at the Gerrish Higgins Middle School, our top secret location. We are looking for current team member volunteers to help Wednesday February 20th from about 5:00pm to 9:00pm. We need some current team members to play the role of victims and some current team members to participate with the trainees in order to add to their teams (the trainees will lead the teams). Please advise Elaine or me ASAP if you can help. Remember, others volunteered when you had your simulation training to make it more realistic.

Thank you to those who assisted the Sheriff's Dept., MSP and Gerrish Police with traffic control at the very well attended Firemen's Memorial Parade. Also, thank you to those who volunteered to work the CERT display table at the Roscommon County Preparedness Day on 9/12 . Six people signed up for our next training class. The Fire Department also thanks all who have been assisting at the many ISO water supply training days held during the summer. CERT team members have been utilized in the community in many varied ways.

Our next CERT meeting as previously announced is Monday, September 24, 2007 @ 7:00pm at the Gerrish Township Hall meeting room. Our agenda includes: Status report on CERT grant monies successfully released from the 7th District to GERRISH TEAM; radio communication & use of new hi-band police radios for CERT Team; refresher on compass use; review contents of CERT bins/ stretchers etc.; orientation on CERT warning lights; review Search and Rescue (S&R) techniques; and review of your CERT backpacks. The review of the backpacks, in accordance with the new police Standard Operating Procedure for CERT which most have recently reviewed/signed, will require you to bring the backpacks fully packed to this meeting. We will have a limited number of batteries for distribution so test flashlights, radios, etc ahead of time. The review of the S&R techniques will be a discussion of those skills our team learned and utilized previously during both simulated and real searches. It is that time of the year when hunters and others take to the woods and may find themselves lost, thus requiring us to utilize S&R skills in actual situations.

As previously communicated, on Wednesday October 3, 2007, CERT will combine with Gerrish Police and Fire Departments in a simulation Search and Rescue event in the local area. Our initial staging area will be the Gerrish Police Department at 5:45pm. We will travel to the actual search area using a limited number of our vehicles. Equipment required includes: vest, helmet, headlamp (recommended), goggles, compass (if you have one), water if desired, and backpack/fanny pack with a minimum of first aid kit(compresses, ties,etc), flashlight, radio, gloves and any item you may feel is important. Please dress appropriately for field operations including: hiking boots/shoes, raingear as necessary, warm clothes, etc. We will be utilizing all CERT skills including: S&R, first aid , radio communication, ICS, etc. This simulation will not be as extensive as some of our previously field operations and should provide a good time for all.

Many have already advised Elaine or myself of your plans for Sept 24th and Oct. 3rd. Those who have not please do so ASAP.

We look forward to seeing all team members on Sept. 24 and Oct. 3rd.

Don and Elaine Granzine