CPNA CERT Drill February 2, 2007


It was a sunny, if chilly, Saturday morning for a great CERT Quarterly Drill. Eric Lipanovich, Chris Dateo, Russ Jones and Rick Van Mell were out early posting about 90 incidents on light pole and fire hydrants. By a little after 9:00 am, George Jacob and others were opening the Command Post trailer on the Bubb School playground.

Our Block Volunteers and Team Members had gotten an initial briefing on Thursday night, February 1st at the Bubb School Multi-Purpose Room (many thanks to bubb School!). They know the objectives for this drill were to practice re-assigning Block volunteers to other streets after they had completed their own, and forming Search & Rescue teams to investigate an incident.

We rotate postion assignments at the Command Post so people get experience in differenct jobs. For this drill the roles were filled by:
Incident Commander:Rick Van Mell
Net Control (GMRS Radio):Gordon Good
Scribe:Eric Lipanovich
Map Recorder:Pam Miller
Map Asst.:Cynthia Sievers
Logistics: (Supplies)Dee Guertin
General Assistance:Chris Dateo
Team Leader:Dave Offen (was sick on 2/3)
Team Member:Russ Jones


At 9:55 Gordon Good open the radio net for the drill - and in minutes our block volunteers were checking in to say they were starting to check their blocks for damage -- from an earthquake. They walked their blocks finding the incidents and reporting in the Priority 1s -- Life threatening -- and big Priority 2s -- major fires or house collapse -- incidents.

Eric Lipanovich acted as scribe writing down each incident as it came in. that's a challenge when you're hearing it over radio and trying to get a fair amount of detail written down. At our debriefing, Eric reminded Block volunteers to remember someone is writing down their words, so please speak a little more slowly!!

We had set up an "incident" in George Jacob's garage where a person (mannequin "Craig") was trapped under fallen boards and boxes, while his wife Betsy Dwyer & son Ryan Sherod (real people) were screaming, and "grandfather" George was just agitated as can be. All this enhanced by clouds of smoke (fog machine) and kids screaming (actually Ryan & Julia Patterson, recorded two years ago!)

A total of four Search & Rescue Team were sent to 661 Lola to size up the situation, and rescue the victims if they could. While one team report poor "Craig" as deceased (in earshot of Betsy & Ryan who went hysterical), the last team happily found a pulse and carried "Craig" back to the Command Post to end the drill. They were greeted by great cheers from everyone.

We were most fortunate to have Lynn Brown, the mast trainer and head of Mountain View, and Jerry Hagg who heads up the amateur radio room at the Mountain View Emergency Operating Center. They had encouraging words for us and pitched in with a few suggestions too.

Why we even had donuts for all the Block Volunteers and Team Members who assembled at the end of the drill for a debriefing and many thanks for a job well done. The Command Post team for this drill will get together and summarize the good lessons learned and we'll distribute them to the neighborhood in due course.

Below are the names of your 32 neighbors who put it together and pulled it off. So the next time you see them, give them a "thanks" for taking one more step to help our neighborhood.

ID # Name Block Between
1 Andy Miller Leona Begen & Montalto
3 Barbara & Dick Billings Bonita Cuesta & Hans
4 Bill & Donna Lowes Cuesta Miramonte & Montalto
5 Chris Dateo Montalto & Cuesta(part) Barbara & Grant
7 Gail Nyhan Barbara Phyllis & Miramonte
8 David Heine Sonia Castro & Miramonte
11 Erika Spence Phyllis Grant & Pamela(odd) - alt w/ Merle
14 George Jacob Lola Montalto & Barbara
15 Page McDonald Lola Montalto & Barbara - alt w/ George
17 Hugo Penafiel Leona Barbara & Montalto - alt w/ Jan
18 Jean Meddaugh Bonita Barbara & Hans
19 Jill Bauza Begen Hans & Cuesta
20 Karen Keefer Gantry Crane & Begen
21 Kathryn Carpenter Nilda Hans & Camille(odd)
22 Kevin Stone Gretel Cuesta & Barbara
26 Rick Van Mell Begen Barbara & Cuesta - alt w/ Vera,Jill
27 Robin Tenold Phyllis El Camino & Pamela
28 Russ Jones Bond,Crane,Begen Gantry & Cuesta
30 Sarah Perez Nilda Barbara & Hans
31 Terry & Diahanna Hanna Drucilla Leona & Montalto (incl Carla)
33 Vera Kark Begen Hans & Cuesta - alt w/ Jill,Rick
34 Eric Lipanovich Lola Alt with #13, Gail Haspert
36 Dee Guertin    
39 Dick Guertin    
40 Gordon Good    
41 Birgit Haselhuber Bonita Barbara & Hans - alt w/ Jeanne
43 Tom Frankum Montalto & Cuesta(part) Barbara & Grant - alt w/ Chris
44 Cynthia Sievers Bond,Crane,Begen Gantry & Cuesta - alt w/ Russ
45 Gard Meddaugh    
50 Mack Patterson    


So for now, enjoy a few pictures and plan to join us in the future. Pictures are compliments of Eric Lipanovich, Kathryn Carpenter, Chris & Mary Dateo and Rick Van Mell. Also, Kathryn Carpenter has posted her set of pictures on the CPNATALK Yahoog group site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cpnatalk/ (You'll need a Yahoo ID and password, plus be in the CPNATALK group - which you can ask to subscribe to.

Rick Van Mell vanmells@ix.netcom.com



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George gets Craig dressed for the incident Eric plays test victim at "disaster" site Smoke gets ...
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everywhere! Getting Command Post set up CP setup - Gordon Good
Pam Miller & Cynthia Sievers
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Gordon gets forms ready Pam & Cynthia post first reports In the thick of it
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Lynn Brown & Jerry Hagg check out the rig More stuff comes in Rick, Jerry, Russ & Dee
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Rick sends off Barb, Hugo & Kathryn Russ Jones, Kathryn Carpenter & Robin Tenold
arrive at incident site
Our "victim" family
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Ouch! They've freed "Craig" ... But (mom) Betsy Dwyer & (son) Ryan Sherod
are still distraught
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Russ Jones' Rerpot Next team tries - Jill Bauza, Gail Nyhan
Page McDonald & Erika Spence
Lynn, Chris, Robin & Page
the size-up!
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They make their entry mark Jill Works to free Craig Jill, Gail & Erica check Craig
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They get "Craig" out - and he has a pulse!! Jerry & Lynn approve Birgit helps bring Crig back
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The debriefing The core team - Dee Guertin
Pam Miller, Cynthia Sievers, Chris Dateo,
Gordon Good & Eric Lipanovich
plus Rick van Mell
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What 60 incidents looked like