Winter 2004

Winter 2005 Volume 7 Issue 1
	Response Team Helping Hands Marianne Willenborg, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator, Shelby County EMA, IA The Shelby County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been busy this year helping our community and are a great asset to the emergency responders in Shelby County. 1. Shelby County CERT members helped out with the Public Health Bio Terrorism Drill on August 3^rd 2004. This was a test of Shelby County Bio terrorism plan for small pox and was a great success. Shelby County CERT members were used to help guide the (actors of the drill) public through out the vaccination process, to help with traffic control and as door greeters. Public Health realized what a great help the CERT members were to the community. This fall when there was a shortage of flu vaccinations, Shelby County Public Health asked CERT members to assist with an actual mass vaccination clinic on October 20,2004, this was a great success also.
2. In June we started a project to get 100 NOAA weather radios out to the community. Shelby County Emergency Management designated auditoriums, activity centers, ball diamonds and football fields (concession stands), day care or preschools, public buildings, elderly housing, trailer parks, motels, the library, nursing homes, hospitals and public health, parks, schools and swimming pools as warning sites for placement of NOAA weather radio’s. CERT members programmed and distributed the radios. In September Shelby County Emergency Management received a grant for 79 more NOAA weather radios. Seventeen of these were distributed to local businesses. On October 16, 2004 CERT members went door-to-door handing out the rest to the residents in mobile home parks.
3. Last May CERT members helped Shelby County Emergency Management to organize and inventory emergency disaster supplies that were in storage. The team discovered out dated surgical supplies and old cots. CERT leader, Marianne Willenborg set out to find someone that could use these outdated supplies. She heard of a group called the Orphan Grain Train, they are a Christian organization that brings relief for humans in need worldwide. The volunteers of the Orphan Grain Train throughout the United States donate clothing and medical supplies for the destitute people around the world. They donate money to send relief goods and food where they are most needed. Mr. and Mrs. Elroy Koch of the Orphan Grain Train, Ida Grove office informed Marianne that they were in desperate need of surgical supplies and they would put the supplies on a truck leaving for Nigeria this fall. On October 10, 2004 the Orphan Grain Train arrived in Harlan at 2pm to pick up the supplies. Shelby County CERT members were on hand to load the supplies onto the truck.
4. In September 2004 Shelby County CERT member Carl Dugan, was asked by the federal government to help with Hurricane Frances. Carl Dugan spent 3 weeks to helping with hurricane relief. More of the CERT members wanted to go but could not get away from job or family responsibilities.

These are just some of the other things Shelby County CERT has been helping with: Jan 11 2004Handed out free gunlocks at a Gun Show for Harlan Police Dept. May 8th 2004 Disaster Work day; Inventory of Disaster supplies for EMA Booth at the Kids Festival 4/3/04 to hand out flyers and preparedness items July 15th 2004in Shelby County Fair to hand out flyers and preparedness items Co-sponsored NOAA radio purchase program in our County 5/2004 SNS Disaster Drill to help with security and EMS August 3rd 2004 CERT member to Florida to help with hurricane Francis Sept 2004 10-9-2004 Load donations for Orphan Grain Train-old army hospital to Nigeria 10-16-2004 Hand out NOAA radios to residents in mobile home parks 10-20-2004 Help with mass Flu vaccination clinic

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