EDITOR: The recent earthquake near Paso Robles and the
subsequent news coverage by the Morgan Hill Times is a good
reminder of one of the risks associated with living in
California.
EDITOR:
The recent earthquake near Paso Robles and the subsequent news coverage by the Morgan Hill Times is a good reminder of one of the risks associated with living in California. In May 2003 there was a story in the Morgan Hill Times about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program created by the federal Emergency Management Agency.
I recall seeing a group of people at the Taste of Morgan Hill in September 2002 promising to teach this CERT class. I signed up and waited for a call/letter telling me when class would start but I never heard from them. During the Taste of Morgan Hill this year I found this group strutting around in their yellow shirts and telling everyone about the CERT class sponsored by the Morgan Hill Office of Emergency Services.
I missed the first class on Oct. 4 but I was at the California Department of Forestry station here in Morgan Hill on the next Saturday. I arrived at 8:30 a.m. so that I could sign up for the class that started at 9 a.m. Nobody showed up and there was no sign telling me whether the class was moved or canceled.
Repeated requests for information from this group called the South County Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Project went unanswered. Are the South County Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Project and the Morgan Hill Office of Emergency Services receiving federal funds to present the CERT class? I sure hope not because they must be using it to purchase their yellow shirts.
Maybe the city of Morgan Hill should look to another agency to present this class … maybe the local fire department would take the task seriously.
It seems that the only way to get something done is to do it yourself. I want to let all the people in Morgan Hill know that we have other options. FEMA now offers this CERT program online (http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is317.asp). The American Red Cross teaches courses on Disaster Preparedness and Earthquake safety in San Jose.
Take action fellow citizens, do not rely on this group of yellow shirt wearing people and the Morgan Hill Office of Emergency Services … take a CERT course online or learn from the American Red Cross and prepare your family.
Rhonda Loewy,
Morgan Hill
