CERT (indirectly) Plays Role In Haiti Disaster Response

Neighbors Helping Neighbors thanks and wishes the Urban Search and Rescue Teams safe travels as they respond to the disaster in Haiti.

But where does the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) fit in?

Ever wonder where these teams train and where they find volunteer victims? Members of the local CERT, as pictured below, serve as volunteer victims, as these teams train for these types of emergencies.

Additional information can be found at: http://fairfaxcountycert.blogspot.com/2010/01/haitian-response.html

Other Citizen Corps programs, such as the American Red Cross, are also preparing to provide services for residents from Haiti as they arrive into the United States.

Simulating "The Really Big One?"

What if...

"The magnitude-6.3 earthquake that struck villages in Italy was horrible enough, but can you imagine what would happen to a city like Seattle if it were hit by a magnitude-9 shocker? That's exactly what Caltech's Thomas Heaton and Jing Yang try to do in a new series of simulations - and the picture isn't pretty." (Source: MSNBC).

The complete article and information on research on this topic can be found at:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/09/1886433.aspx

Earthquake Shakes Mindanao Region

While in the Philippines, we had the opportunity to work with the youth at several schools.



"The Buddy Buddy System".

Additional information about this exercise can be found in an earlier posting at Sharing Message With Your Family.

Reach Out Mission - "To serve humanity, is to give time, treasure and talent"

Reach out mission
By MICHAEL M. ESGUERRA

"To serve humanity, is to give time, treasure and talent"

Around 20 people joined the reached out mission to give school supplies and conduct earthquake drill in Kiman-aw Primary School and Silapawan Primary School at Silapawan, Paquibato District, Davao City.

The 20 people were volunteers from the two organizations, the Philippine National Red Cross- Davao City Chapter and NCCC cares, a foundation of the New Center Commercial Center. Both organizations were headed by the Engr. Edwin Patalagsa, Chapter Service Representative of Disaster Management Service of PNRC-Davao City.

It took three hours and crossing ten rivers just to arrive in the place. Angel May Cabaylo, Red Cross youth volunteer said, "I was so afraid since the road was so stiff." It was even more fearful since the truck wasn’t able to move forward while crossing the 9th river. The volunteers were stranded for almost two hours and through their "bayanihan spirit" of the volunteers and help of some residents the problem was finally solve.

The group arrived at lunchtime; the volunteers were group into two since we will be visiting two schools. I was with the team of Kiman-aw where school children were excited to see the group since they have been waiting for four hours. They welcome the team by singing their native song to their visitors. To some volunteers the experience was priceless.

Ms. Cabaylo added "I would never exchange the happiness I saw where the kids jumping for joy and saw their happy faces while receiving their new bags and notebooks".

The school has a total of 75 pupils ranging from Grade I to IV levels. Most of them were from Ata-Manobo tribe. The teachers were Mr. Mario C. Fernandez and his co-teacher Mrs. Arlene H. Abapo. They were diligent and patience even as it means going away from their homes and families. They deserve to be called us heroes, said one of the pupils.

Although it was plan that there will be an earthquake drill. It was cancelled the reason: it was raining.

A Beginning, Not an End

Yesterday was the culmination and award ceremonies for National Consciousness Month. It was a true honor to be part of the festivities.

During this past month, we had the opportunity to participate and evaluate the following tabletops, exercises, and drills. In addition, taught several classes and train-the-trainer sessions.

• Central 911/Davao City Disaster Coordinating Council (DCDCC) Corporate Service Corps (CSC) Kickoff Meeting
• DCDCC/City Fire and Bomb Drill Tabletop Exercise - Final Planning Meeting
• RDCC Samal Island Water Rescue Exercise Tabletop Exercise - Final Planning Meeting
• DCDCC/City Fire IOC Fire Drill - Evaluator
• DCDCC/City Fire DTI Bomb Drill - Evaluator
• High School Earthquake Exercise, Evaluator
• Inter-Barangay First Aid Competition
• G402 Executive ICS and International Best Practices Training Session - DCDCC Executive Committee - Instructor
• Barangay Leaders Incident Command System (ICS) Train-the-trainer and International Best Practices Training Session - Instructor

These are just some of the many events that took place as part of National Consciousness Month.

Congratulations to all those that received awards.

Sharing the Message with Your Family

In a disaster, you might know what to do, but does your family?


The Earth Is Shaking But These Students Know What To Do

Earlier in the week, when participating at a big school for a fire drill, the students evacuated very quickly. The pace of evacuation needs to such that no one gets hurt.

At an earthquake drill yesterday (the second one we participated in yesterday), the principal hit the hammer against the flagpole and the students quietly and orderly went to their assigned locations. They also buddy up and everyone was accounted for. The victims/actors were also evacuated and treated.

As part of the demobilization and debrief, I had the opportunity to address the participants, teachers, school administrators and local officials. I stressed the importance of awareness and preparedness not only at the school, but school is also only so many hours per day and the message also needs to be shared/passed on to the student's families.

The principal commented they plan to conduct exercises, "once a week so they can bring this home to their neighborhoods and families".

Also addressing the audience we a council representative who commented, "... in the near future, we will have our force multiplies, so later in life they can also use this so they can save lives, especially their neighbors."

This is what Neighbors Helping Neighbors is all about.