We have just graduated one more team of CERT volunteers and this brings the total volunteers to approximately 50. We continue to meet once each month to practice skills and develop new skills.  Currently, we are studying the effects of nuclear and biological weapons and learning appropriate responses if these events should occur.

1. We are identifying the essential contents for a basic emergency supply kit for each center.
2. We are doing the research to initiate an identification procedure to utilize photographs and passwords to help unite parent and child temporarily separated in an emergency.
3. We are developing a flagging system, modeled after California, to function when communications systems are overwhelmed.  A flagging system would notify passing emergency personnel of the need for help.  A red, yellow and green flag would be displayed to notify emergency personnel as they pass the childcare centers.
4. We are developing a system to notify parents of the location of their children who may have to be evacuated during an emergency.

We are also working with the Center For Independence and with independent senior citizens to make certain that these populations are prepared to be self-sufficient during a disaster.

The local emergency manager has identified CERT volunteers to work with our local hospital personnel to set up and help monitor 500 extra beds that would be activated in a major disaster.

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