The New Year has been busy for Southern Marin CERTs. This Winter we've seen record setting storms in the Bay Area, and CERTs answered the call to help on multiple occasions. On January 3rd, volunteers from across Southern Marin gathered in Mill Valley for a quick briefing from the Marin County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Elaine Wilkinson. They helped distribute hundreds of door hangers with flooding resources to flood prone areas of Sycamore Park in Mill Valley, as well as the Birdland and Kay Park neighborhoods in Tam Valley.
CERTS also received Just in Time Training from the Southern Marin Fire District on how to safely relieve first responders to monitor downed power lines and redirect the public. The first group was trained by Battalion Chief Vollmer at Station 7 in Mill Valley. They were activated on January 5th in Homestead Valley, taking shifts to cover a downed power line for a total of 6 hours.
A second group of 12 CERTs was briefed the following Monday, January 9th, by Captain Butler at Station 7. It was another successful training with great questions from enthusiastic volunteers. The CERTs who were recently trained in managing downed power lines were alerted of the potential for another callout as storms roll through the area on Saturday, January 14th.
If you're interested in learning how you can help your neighbors before, during, and after disasters, please join the next Southern Marin Neighborhood Response Group Block Captain Orientation will be held on Tuesday, January 31st at 5pm on Zoom. Feel free to invite your neighbors and new Block Captains!
When: January 31st at 5pm
Where: Zoom
Cost: FREE
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ldu6rrT0iG9VkxRxeeMk_TrwsSq2AiA-3
More information, email Leah Curtis, NRG Coordinator at nrg@smfd.org