The first CERT basic class of 2010 announced-CERT 42

Hi folks!
The first CERT basic class of 2010 has been announced. This class will be known as CERT 42.

CERT 42 will start up on January 13, 2010. The time for the classes will be from 4:00 pm to 6:30pm. Classes will be held at Kings Park Elementary School, which is located at 5400 Harrow Way in Springfield.

There are still some student opportunities for this class available.Do you know of someone 18 or older interested in participating in this class? The class time is perfect for a retiree or busy mom!

If so, please have them contact our CERT administrator Dana Powers at dana.powers@fairfaxcounty.gov

Thanks,
Terry
your volunteer PIO

Shopping!

Just a little reminder that post-holiday sales are a great time to pick up supplies to build or augment your preparedness kits. Some items to look for include:

• blankets
• flashlights
• fire extinguishers
• smoke detectors
• carbon monoxide detectors
• flares
• snow shovels
• ice scrapers
• batteries
• NOAA weather radio
  

CERT HELP for FROSTIVAL January 1, 2 and 3, 2010

Anybody up to extending their Holiday Spirit to support this fun outreach event? We need some help to cover this 3-day event. Please, email Terry and I with times and dates that you could help out. If we could get you to commit to a 3 or 4 hour block on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday that would be great and you would also satisfy one of the requirements for 2010 CERT refresher. We are gearing our efforts to a younger audience, 2 to 12 year olds, so it should be lots of fun. I’m hoping to get a lot of activity books to hand out, plus examples of preparedness kits to go into school bags. Any other ideas would be most welcome. Call me at 703-655-9170 with your preferences or email Terry and me. I will plug you into a roster and get free adult tickets and the “particulars” to you.
Judy- CERT Outreach Coord

Some Winter Safety Tips from USFA

This is from the Family Preparedness Newsletter:

Winter is an especially dangerous time for home fires, as space heaters, holiday lights and candles get more use - it is no surprise that fires in the home are more common between December and February. The U.S. Fire Administration is part of the Department of Homeland Security, and their Web site has a wealth of information to help make this holiday season both warm and safe:

Fire Safety Tips: [ http://www.firesafety.gov/citizens/firesafety/index.shtm ]

• Never underestimate your children's curiosity about fire [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/matches/ ]. Strongly discourage casual contact with matches and lighters.
• Have smoke detector [ http://www.firesafety.gov/citizens/alarms/index.shtm ] on every floor of your home, and test them every month.
• Sadly, two-thirds of home fires that kill children under age 5 occur in homes without a working smoke alarm. [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/alarms/ ]
• Devise a home fire escape plan [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/escape/ ] and practice it with your family.
• Change your smoke detector batteries when you change your clocks.
• Learn about residential sprinkler systems [ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/all_citizens/home_fire_prev/sprinklers/ ].
• When traveling, search this database for Hotel/Motel Fire-Safe List. [ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/hotel/ ]
  

Resources:

• The U.S. Fire Administration provides informative resources [ https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ ] in many formats, including books, pamphlets and DVD's, *free of charge**.*
• Click here [ http://www.usfaparents.gov/materials/ ] for a fact sheet on fire safety for babies and toddlers in multiple languages.
• Click here [ http://www.firesafety.gov/kids/index.shtm ] for kid-friendly projects and information about children and fire safety.

Also, we have posted about the hazards of dry trees in the past but if you decorate with a live tree, be sure to keep it watered -- here is a link to a video for how fast a dry tree can get engulfed in flames.

Cathleen

Clear the Fire Hydrants

Now that the "Blizzard" of '09 has passed and we are digging our way out, be sure to find the fire hydrants in your community and dig them out. We hope that they will not be needed, but it is another way for us CERTs to help our neighbors.

Be Safe.

-Jack

CERT outreach 2010-Let's start the year off right with the Frostival!

Hi folks,
We have been asked to provide a CERT display and activity for the Frostival; a first ever event held by the people who operate the Celebrate Fairfax and Fall for Fairfax events. The event runs from 10am to 5 pm on January 1,2 and 3, 2010.
We will need some help with running this booth; if your'e interested in helping out please email pio@fairfaxcountycert.org and CC Judy, our outreach coordinator at outreach@fairfaxcountycert.org . We will need your name, email address; your CERT class number and a good contact phone number.
Help at this event is open to both CERT basic and CERT 2 graduates. Below is more information on this new and interesting event.
Terry
your volunteer PIO


Fairfax's First-Ever Annual Frostival- www.frostival.com

Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. is proud to announce the first-ever FROSTIVAL, an exciting new winter-themed family festival, with programs targeted to elementary and pre-K aged children. Celebrate Fairfax's FROSTIVAL will include interactive rides, games, attractions, crafts, storytelling, musical performances, exhibits and vendors.

WHERE:
At the Dulles Expo & Conference Center in Chantilly, Virginia
WHEN:
Starts at 10:00am January 1, 2010 | Ends at 5:00pm January 3, 2010. CERT involvement will be a display from 10am to 5pm on January 1, 2, and 3.
HOW:
By car, plenty of parking is available. For a map and directions, click here.

Upcoming WMATA/METRO CERT Classes!

Hi folks!
There are another round of Metro CERT training classes coming up. The dates are February 11, 18 and 25, 2010. The training will be conducted at 600 5th street, N.W. in Washington DC; which is the main Metro Building. The starting time for the classes is 1800 hours. WMATA can take up to 12 CERT participants.
Some of our Fairfax County CERT members have taken Metro CERT training; and it is a very interesting and informative class. If you ride Metro regularly this class is for you!
If you are interested in taking Metro CERT classes; please contact our CERT administrator Dana Powers directly at dana.powers@fairfaxcounty.gov
This class is open to Fairfax County CERT basic and CERT 2 graduates; and the training slots are on a first come, first serve basis.

Thanks,
Terry
your volunteer PIO