Chatham CERT

A big thank-you to everyone who attend our February 2019 CERT meeting! Our guest speaker was Cheryl Leonard, discussing CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management). Here is a copy of the class handout.

We also reviewed CERT application procedures, the CERT vest ordering website, upcoming training and meetings, personal awareness color codes, and two great learning opportunities: Tree Cleanup and Chainsaw Safety for Disaster Relief, and the RARSFest convention for amateur radio operators. Click here for the presentation containing all this information and more.

Future CERT emergency notifications will come through the Chatham County ALERT CHATHAM notification system to all interested CERT participants. After the initial alert, additional information will be available on our website for reporting instructions, signup rosters, and other items.

We also will start using Zello, a walkie-talkie application for cell phones. Zello allows group conversations in austere environments, because it can communicate with weak cell phone signals or over wireless internet. Find out more about Zello and how to connect to the Chatham CERT Zello group with this set of instructions.

Chatham CERT supported the 2018 Reindeer Run in December 2018 with radio communications and other support to the event.

We received a very nice certificate of appreciation from the event organizers. The 2019 Reindeer Run is scheduled for December 7, 2019 and we are looking forward to supporting the event again.

Run-Hide-Fight!

Chatham County CERT will meet on January 23, 2019 at at 6:30 for our monthly meeting. As always, everyone is invited to attend.

This month our meeting is, by popular request, a presentation on what to do if one is near an active shooter event. The Chatham County Sheriff’s office is presenting Run-Hide-Fight, which is the current training response scenario. Continue reading Newsletter January 2019

Happy Holidays!

No meeting in December

With all the activities for the holiday season we will not have a scheduled meeting in December. Our next meeting is January 23, 2019 – keep on reading for the details. Continue reading Newsletter December 2018

Chatham CERT November 2018

First was Florence, then Michael, and now the National Weather Service is predicting normally-cold temperatures and a wetter than normal winter for our area. Are you ready?

November CERT Meeting

This month’s CERT meeting is on November 28 at 6:30 PM at the Emergency Operations Center, 297 West Street, Pittsboro. Our class this month will focus on what we all need to do to be prepared for emergencies in winter weather: local experts will present short classes on winter weather preparedness, winter driving skills, home security when we are on vacation, cold-weather injuries, influenza, and small and large animal winter health. Continue reading Newsletter November 2018

October meeting

Hemorrhage Control

Chatham CERT October 2018

Hurricane Florence was the first real test of CERT in Chatham County. Thanks to everyone who prepared their families and neighborhoods, and a particular thank you to every CERT and others who volunteered their time to support the Emergency Operations Center in Pittsboro, who helped set up and take down shelters, who moved emergency supplies, and who worked at the North Carolina shelter in Orange County. Great Job! Continue reading Newsletter October 2018

CERT September meeting – Communications

First, Hurricane Florence

After a quiet summer, the 2018 tropical storm system is heating up. Florence looks to be headed our way, which could mean high winds and lots of rain. Combined those spell power outages, transportation interruptions, and school closings. As a CERT you have started to prepare your families for bad weather. Here is a checklist you can share with others who are just now thinking about how to get ready: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php. Continue reading Newsletter September 2018

August CERT meeting – SKYWARN

• Have you ever wondered why the schools close when they do for winter storms?
• How does Chatham County decide when to close roads for ice or flooding?
• Should I take shelter from that cloud on the horizon?

Continue reading Newsletter August 2018

July CERT Meeting

The July 2018 meeting of Chatham CERT is on July 25 at 18:30 (6:30 PM) in the Chatham County Emergency Operations Center, 297 West St, Pittsboro. After our regular meeting, this months’ class is ‘What Happens When My GPS Doesn’t Work, or How I Learned to Love My Paper Maps’. We will discuss topics on map coordinates, map reading, and land navigation, all of which are essential for CERT support to many operational mission scenarios including search and rescue. Everyone, CERT members or not, are invited to participate at no cost. Continue reading Newsletter July 2018

Thanks for being interested in Chatham CERT. Here is an update on activities and plans.

Upcoming meetings

Wednesday, June 27, 2018: Shelter operations – how to set up, run, and close down an emergency shelter. Note the location for this meeting: Senior Center, 365 NC Highway 87 N, Pittsboro NC at 18:30 (6:30 PM).

Continue reading Newsletter June 2018