Berryessa CERT's inaugural monthly training meeting! We've got this! The May training subject was Go Bags.
We had completed the CERT training in January. What were the next steps? After meeting with several of my neighbors who had taken the CERT training with me, we decided that we wanted to pursue a CERT team in our area and I offered to lead the effort. My first step was to attend the Napa CERT teams monthly training meeting, which happened to be on go bags. The team members from Napa CERT were very supportive and welcoming and it was a great eye opener as to how we should form our new Berryessa CERT team.
Working with Ken Arnold, the Napa County CERT program manager, I formed the Berryessa CERT team and we held our first monthly training session on May 16, 2019. The Capell Valley Volunteer Fire Chief, Sandy Storck, kindly allowed us to use the fire station as our meeting and training ground. I read everything I could about other CERT teams in other California counties and other states and plotted out our training schedule topics for the rest of the year.
After polling the CERT training class attendees, 10 graduates from the Napa County January 2019 class opted to become active members of the newly minted Berryessa CERT team. We were off to a great start!
Our first Berryessa CERT training meeting was on CERT go bags. We had received a CERT helmet, CERT vest, work gloves, goggles and training materials from Napa County CERT upon completion of our training. After reviewing the hazards that we may face in our local area, what other items might be useful in our gear bags? We had fun comparing items from all of our gear bags and it was a great way to learn about new things we had never thought of.
I find I'm always on the look out now for items that would be useful for use in CERT. Home Depot or Dollar Tree, there's always something that catches my eye. - Joe Sponseller, Berryessa CERT
Following is the list that we came up with. I hope all of you find something useful you can apply to your own emergency preparedness kits! Everything on this list would make a great kit to keep in your home or car, ready to grab at a moments notice if a disaster strikes or you've told to evacuate. I know in the last few times I've had to evacuate due to a wildfire, my pre-packed CERT go bag came in handy more than a few times. I've also made a paired down version of this kit for my daughters and it makes me feel better know they have them in their cars.
CERT Gear Bag Required Items:
Cert Hard Hat
Cert Vest
Safety Goggles
Knee Pads
Leather Work Gloves
Sturdy Closed Toe Shoes
Long Pants
Flashlight
Extra Batteries
N95 Mask
Note Pad
Pen, Pencil, Black Sharpie
Fog (Field Operating Guide)
Bottled Water
Utility Shut Off Wrench
Hand Sanitizer
Small Tissue Packs
Whistle
Latex Free Gloves
Suggested Supplemental Items
Headlamp For Your Helmet
Extra Batteries For All Items Requiring Them
Caution Tape
Triage Tape (Red, Yellow, Green, Black)
Triage Tape Holder (Snap Buckle Dog Collar)
16” Glow Stick
Folding Shovel/Pick Combo
Pocket Knife (4” Or Less)
Rain Poncho
Sunglasses
Bandana
First Aid Supplies
Gallon Ziplock Bags
Multi Tool
Duct Tape
Glow Sticks – Red, Yellow, Green With Strings
Emergency Blanket
Wool Blanket
GMRS Radio & Charger/Extra Batteries
Pry Bar
Crescent Wrench
Tarp
Collapsible Water Bottle
Water Purification Tablets Or Filter
Lumber Crayon
Extra Black Sharpie
Zip Ties
Sunscreen
Chapstick With Sunscreen
Lighter
Snacks (Non-Perishable)
4 Large Garbage Bags Rolled Up & Secured With Thick Rubber Bands
Ear Plugs
Nice to Have Extra Items
Halo Bolt Portable Charger Car Jump Starter
Packable Down Jacket
Reflective Rain Jacket Or Rain Gear
Green Laser Pointer
UV Pen Light
Hand/Face Wipes
Crank Emergency Radio
Nylon Braided Rope
LED Flares
Hand Warmers
Spanish/English Dictionary
Rechargeable Batteries & Charger
Long Sleeve Shirt
2 Pairs Of Socks
2 Pairs Of Extra Underwear
Extra Cell Phone Charging Cord
Cell Phone Charging Stick
Lighter Weight Work Gloves
Deodorant/Toothbrush/Toothpaste
Signal Mirror
Compass
Maps Of The Area
Rite In The Rain Notebook & RITR Pencil
Window Markers
Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern
Travel Hairbrush/Mirror Combo
Gum
Extra N95 Masks