Neighbor
Helping
          Neighbor

NEWS & UPDATES
 

Good evening. I hope all is well and you are finalizing and practicing your hurricane plans. Over the last six weeks we have been meeting with the new CERT Board Members and coming up with plans to reenergize the Lealman CERT Program. I am hopeful that this new approach to CERT will continue to make our program great.

Speaking of the CERT Board, the new members of the board are:
  • Term Ending September 30th 2017:
    • Glenn Dobos
    • Carol Summerville
    • Derek Young
    • Rick Larrison
    • Jennie Devoe
  • Term Ends September 30th 2018:
    • Weldon Burgett
    • Andy Everett
    • Muriel Larrison
    • Kevin Roche
There are three officer positions which are voted on each year by the Board. The current officers will continue in their positions until October 2017. The officers are:
  • Weldon Burgett, Chair
  • Andy Everett, Vice-Chair, and
  • Muriel Larrison, Secretary/Treasurer
Our next CERT training day will be on Saturday, June 11th and will address CERT Animal Response. Carol Summerville will be facilitating the course. See the article below for more information.

Please bear with us as we continue to make changes to the Lealman CERT Program. As always, if you have any suggestions for future training topics, please email me. I look forward to seeing you soon. And, as always, if you have questions/concerns, please feel free to reach out to me by email or call me at (727) 481-2797. 

Respectfully,

K. Larry Thompson, Captain

P.S. - I received this last week from one of our CERT Members.

Larry, I just returned from Team Rubicon's Operation Moonshot in Houston, Texas on Monday night. I would just like you to know that I value the effort you put into the training I receive from you.  I feel better equipped than a lot of the veteran's because of your training. ~ Christina

WOW!!! That is what CERT is about! The basic program is great but continued training is what makes a difference. Join us on Saturday, June 11th to get better prepared.
A WORD FROM YOUR CERT CHAIRPERSON
I want to thank the board for electing me in the position as chair. My key role as chair is to act in a fund raising capacity that will include planning, coordinate board and membership agendas. I will be responsible for the refresher training sessions of our members. I am open to any and all suggestions that may help the team grow. 

We as Lealman CERT are as good as our team participation. I would like to keep Lealman CERT a premier organization, so please stay active! Your input and participation in any capacity is welcome. Remember, we are starting another hurricane season so let us all be ready for whatever may come our way.
 
Weldon Burgett
727-409-0109                                                                                                                       wburget1@tampabay.rr.com 
CERT TRAINING: CERT ANIMAL RESPONSE

The CERT Animal Response course has two modules.  On Saturday, June 11th from 9am until noon, we will take excerpts from those modules and offer a class covering topics such as, preparedness for animal owners, responder safety and how to recognize animal behaviors and what skills are needed when encountering an animal that was involved in a disaster. The course will be facilitated by CERT Board Member Carol Summerville.

The issue of pet evacuation came to the forefront after Katrina in 2005.  Animals were left behind, cats for weeks to months when their owners thought they would only be gone for 2-3 days.  Dogs were left chained in backyards to drown.  Pets were separated from their owners, never to be reunited.  A survey that was conducted after Katrina found that 44% of those who chose to ride out the storm did so because they could not evacuate with their pets.  Approximately 70,000 pets remained in the city during the storm, about 15,000 were rescued.  Only 20% of the rescued animals were reunited with their owners.  The estimate for pet deaths from the disaster is 50,000-70,000 across the Gulf Coast. 

In 2006, the Federal Pets Evacuation and transportation Standards (PETS) Act (42 USCA 5196a-d (2006) was passed.  PETS direct the administrator of FEMA to develop emergency preparedness plans.  Florida 252.3568 is the statute requiring the emergency sheltering of persons with pets.-In accordance with s. 252.35, the division shall address strategies for the evacuation of persons with pets in the shelter component of the state comprehensive emergency management plan and shall include the requirement for similar strategies in its standards and requirements for local comprehensive emergency management plans. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall assist the division in determining strategies regarding this activity.
    
This training will take place at Fire Station #18 located at 4360 55th Avenue North. There will be a short business meeting, training and lunch will be provided. RSVP on MM.
NATIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY CONFERENCE
During the last week of June, the Tampa Bay Area will host the 2016 National Homeland Security Conference at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa! Over 1,000 homeland security professionals and volunteers will attend this year's conference. We are in desperate need of volunteers for this event and are reaching out to CERT members to help fill that void. I realize that this conference is during the week and many have "real" jobs. If you are available, please see the information below and register at www.readypinellas.org.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
DISASTER PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID COURSE

UPCOMING EVENTS
(Please utilize your Mission Manager (MM) account to RSVP to events and training opportunities mentioned below. 
If you are currently not a MM users please email me and we will set-up an account.)

Thursday, 06/02/2016: CERT RADIO NET - The Lealman CERT Amateur Radio Club ''KI4ZKR'' holds a bi-monthly net on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month beginning at 8pm. The net starts on the N4AAC Repeater 145.310 MHz, PL tone of 103.5. Following the Repeater check-in the net moves to the CERT Simplex Frequency of 146.580 MHz. This is a controlled net. Please listen to and follow net controls instructions. RSVP on MM.

Saturday, 06/11/2016: LE-CERT TRAINING - The CERT Animal Response course has two modules.  On Saturday June 11th from 9am until noon, we will take excerpts from those modules and offer a class covering topics such as, preparedness for animal owners, responder safety and how to recognize animal behaviors and what skills are needed when encountering an animal that was involved in a disaster. The training will take place at Fire Station #18 located at 4360 55th Avenue North. There will be a short business meeting, training and lunch will be provided. RSVP on MM.

Thursday, 06/16/2016: CERT RADIO NET - The Lealman CERT Amateur Radio Club ''KI4ZKR'' holds a bi-monthly net on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month beginning at 8pm. The net starts on the N4AAC Repeater 145.310 MHz, PL tone of 103.5. Following the Repeater check-in the net moves to the CERT Simplex Frequency of 146.580 MHz. This is a controlled net. Please listen to and follow net controls instructions. RSVP on MM.

Saturday, 06/18/2016: BFAST & RFAST COURSES - See flyer above for course information and registration links.

Monday thru Thursday, 06/27-30/2016: NATIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY CONFERENCE - See article above.
STAY CONNECTED: