Sequim CERT

Summer is a great time for kids to help their family make a disaster plan. Ready.gov has a ton of information at their Ready Kids website, with games, resources, tips, and lots of cool age-appropriate ways to help out in the event of a disaster. Check it out! https://www.ready.gov/kids

CERT Tip Tuesday!

Do you own (and know how to use) a fire extinguisher? It's so important to have the proper extinguisher for the location it will be used.

Class A: Use for ordinary combustibles like wood, paper, cloth, trash, and plastics.
Class B: For flammable or combustible liquids such as gasoline, petroleum greases, oil-based paints, and solvents.
Class C: For energized electrical equipment.
Class D: For combustible and flammable metals such as magnesium, titanium, and lithium.
Class K: For cooking appliances that involve combustible vegetable or animal oils and fats. Designed specifically for commercial kitchens.

The best extinguisher for overall use at home, in a car or RV, or garage, is a multi-purpose ABC extinguisher. And remember P.A.S.S.: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep that fire out!

There is a lot of paperwork required to keep CERT teams operating, but why?

The Community Emergency Response Team program functions under the Incident Command System (ICS), which is designed to ensure clear accountability, safety, and coordination among all systems during a disaster event.

Emergencies, especially those affecting an entire community, are full of natural and man-made chaos. The paper reporting systems help prevent miscommunication, show who is working when and where, and, most important, cover disaster responders under liability protections and workers' compensation. Detailed logs prove that CERT personnel were officially deployed, following protocol, and operating under authorized instructions.

CERT Scenario:
Your community has experienced a 7.0 earthquake, and your squad has mobilized. As you check on homes in your area, you come across an older house that appears to have suffered some damage. A presumed resident is sitting on the ground outside the home, holding their head in their hands. There is blood on the ground and on their hands.

What are your first steps? Discuss.

(Pic credit: Pexels)

Be alert, community! This Red Flag warning means conditions are ripe for lightning strikes and subsequent fires.

There’s concern that lightning may spark wildfires. Please help do your part by reducing sparks and calling 911 if you see fires start. A red flag warning is in place for Thursday’s weather pattern for portions of the Olympic Mountains, the North Cascades and the Central Cascades along with the Columbia Basin and portions of Benton, Franklin, Grant, Klickitat, Skamania, Walla Walla, Yakima, Adams, Douglas, Chelan, Kittitas and portions of Skamania, Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Lewis, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Mason, Jefferson and Clallam counties. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. Check your local forecast for particulars at weather.gov.
You can help:
* Prepare for a wildfire by maintaining your lawn and removing combustible debris from around your home.
* Clear area near your home of leaves, dead vegetation & other combustible debris to reduce sources of fuel.
* Be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire occurs by knowing your family’s evacuation plan. Tip: Plan several escape routes away from your home by car and by foot.
* When an evacuation notice is issued for a wildfire, take prompt action to maximize survival chances.
* Talk to your neighbors about Wildfire Safety. Plan how the neighborhood could work together before and after a wildfire.
* Learn more about our state’s evacuation levels: https://mil.wa.gov/wildfire

CERT Tip Tuesday: Ever been stuck in a vehicle that's broken down? Not only is it inconvenient, it can be unsafe! The CERT website has links to resources to make sure your car (and you) are prepared for a breakdown or situation where a vehicle becomes a shelter. https://www.ready.gov/car
(Image by SafeIntheSeat)

What do you get when you join CERT? Gear! Each graduate of the CERT academies receives a backpack, safety vest, hard hat, safety goggles, and other items to jump start the team member's emergency go bag.
CERT academy classes resume in September, so sign up today and secure your spot. Courses are free and open to anyone age 18 or older. Call 360.504.2531 and join more than 500 volunteers in the greater Sequim area doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people!

Please join the City of Sequim to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary on Independence Day!
Party at the Park from 4-10:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, at Carrie Blake Park, 202 N. Blake Avenue, in and around the Guy Cole Event Center.

Enjoy a full afternoon of family-friendly fun with classic field day games, a pop-up splash zone, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, and the America250 Experience Hall, all leading up to a fireworks show at 10:00 p.m.

Happy birthday, USA!
https://www.sequimwa.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/1565

CERT is supported by County Fire District 3, a 142 square-mile service area extending approximately three miles east of the Clallam County line into what was formerly a portion of Jefferson County Fire District 5. It's huge and busy and CERT is proud to be part of their disaster response team!

Clallam County Fire Protection District #3 Administrative Office Location: DOES NOT ACCEPT MAIL HERE: 863 Carlsborg Road, Unit C, Sequim (Carlsborg) WA 98382 (Mail can be sent to 323 N 5th Ave. Sequim, WA 98382)