Greater Kirkland Citizen Corps
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"MYN" - Map Your Neighborhood
Preparing Neighborhoods

Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) is a neighborhood based disaster preparedness program, designed to help organized neighborhoods become prepared for disaster. The program is designed for individual neighborhoods to come together in a 90-minute session and do basic disaster planning that will assist them in the first 60 minutes of any disaster. Neighborhoods need to be self-organized and willing to meet together as a group. Neighborhoods who take this important step in disaster preparedness will be provided all necessary organizing materials and support from emergency management staff and specially trained volunteers.

For more information contact: Nancy Smersh
425-587-3663
NSmersh at ci.kirkland.wa.us (change the at to @)

To Sign-Up for a future class go to http://www.kirklandCitizenCorps.org/MYN/signup.asp

Here are the previous flyers

Spring 2008 Flyer
click here

Fall 2007 Flyer
click here

CERT - Community Emergency Response Team

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. Click link to download Kirkland CERT Brochue http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/CERT/2007_CERTbrochure.pdf

To learn more about CERT Training go to
http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/CERT/Training.asp

If you are interested in taking our CERT Class signup to recieve future notifications by clicking on the below link
http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/CERT/Signup.asp

If you have completed your CERT training and wish to access our message boards and see how you can get involved http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/volunteer/

Winter 2009 Class Announcement
http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/CERT/KirklandCERTposterFEB09.PDF

What is the ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Service?

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a group of Federally licensed Amateur Radio (slang = "ham radio") operators who volunteer their skills to assist public safety agencies in the event of a disaster or other incident. During calamities such as earthquakes and hurricanes, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service has typically been among the first to respond, filling the communications void left by downed telephone lines and power outages - quickly linking and coordinating relief efforts. These activities are an integral part of the purpose of Amateur Radio as defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC § 97.1(a); § 97.401(a)). Amateur Radio is very different from "C.B.": Amateur Radio operators must pass a Federal examination and be issued a Federal license, which grants them "operating privileges" - such as the right to use high power transmitters (over a thousand watts), different modes (such as voice, Morse code, and even television), and thousands of frequencies. Furthermore, those Amateur Radio operators who are members of ARES are trained in emergency communications (and related skills) and are Registered Disaster Service Workers (DSWs). Members of ARES have very diverse backgrounds - but share the common goal of assisting when called upon by their communities.

How Does the Amateur Radio Emergency Service Assist Local Agencies?

In the City of Kirkland, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is coordinated by the Fire Department and serves City. Amateur Radio is integrated into the County and State Office of Emergency Mangement. In the event of a disaster, ARES responders perform a number of tasks to assist local fire, law enforcement, and other public service agencies including:

Back-Up Emergency Communications: Most public service communications today are heavily reliant upon land-line telephone, cellular telephone, and fax systems to conduct routine operations. In disasters such as earthquakes (or even power-outages), these systems fail. Subsequently, police, fire, and other public service radio channels become rapidly saturated. ARES Emergency Responders are capable of providing such agencies with a complete back-up radio communications system with many additional channels. Furthermore, ARES is capable of using radio frequencies instead of phone lines to transmit computer data (through radio modems, a.k.a. "packet radio").

Inter-Agency Communications: Most agencies have dedicated frequencies and radios that operate only on those frequencies. ARES members can be assigned to "shadow" key people at different agencies' operations centers and in the field to allow inter-agency communication when the agencies are not able to communicate through normal channels. Furthermore, because of the special frequency and power-output privileges Amateur Radio Operators have, direct links can be established to locations out of range of normal public safety radios (such as California State OES in Sacramento or FEMA in Washington, D.C.).

Health and Welfare Information: ARES members can collect and transmit health and welfare messages to the Red Cross and out-of-area family members on behalf of emergency workers and people in the community, freeing personnel to concentrate on priority matters.
Simulated Emergency Tests: To maintain operator skill and to develop working relationships with the agencies they serve, ARES Emergency Responders participate in various disaster drills, exercises, and related activities.

Community Events: In non-emergencies, ARES volunteers may assist local authorities by providing supplemental communications for various local events such as parades. ARES Emergency Responders also volunteer for special duty to supplement local agency operations.

We need your help! Get involved in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service today!

How Can I Get Involved?
http://www.kirklandcitizencorps.org/ARES/signup.asp