So Labor Day has come and we are stepping into fall already! As you may know, September is Preparedness Month so we have included a link to a very useful newsletter from our friends in Alexandria VA CERT. This issue of the Alexandria CERT Newsletter focuses on preparedness for two groups:  1) persons with disabilities/access and functional needs, and 2) pets. Alexandria CERT Newsletter September-October 2020Download In August, we completed our first ever online CERT Basic class (20-01). Big thanks to the incredible work done by our Training Committee. We are planning an in-person practicum soon to complete the basic class for the 20-01 students. Over the summer, we have continued our Covid 19 Task Force missions of food delivery and support of our ESF-16 partners. A hearty well done to all our Task Force volunteers.  MC CERT has been active with our Virtual Emergency Response Team (VERT) which you can see elsewhere on this website,  and we continue working with MCFRS to obtain a CERT vehicle this fall. As our county begins the slow process of safely reopening, we plan to offer more training opportunities and increase our Go Team activities. In the interim, we remind you to follow guidelines, exercise caution; and stay safe! Happy Labor Day! Greg St. JamesCERT Program ManagerMontgomery County Fire and RescueGreg.St.James@montgomerycountymd.gov

Thank you to our many CERT members & partners who have assisted VERT efforts over the past 5 months. Here is a summary of what the Virtual Emergency Response Team is doing. VERT Progress Report

Nicole Twaalfhoven joined us for our June General Membership meeting talking about crisis management and mental health. This was a great presentation with a Q&A session afterwards. The slides that were presented are attached for any future reference. Nicole started her career as a childhood development specialist and family/couples counselor. She is trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy, and specializes in mindfulness based practices and trauma informed care. Her philosophy about counseling is that it is a collaborative relationship between counselor and client, working on improving habits, feelings, and behavior in a way that supports their lifestyle.  Nicole most recently works for the Greater Washington Psychiatry and Counseling Center in the areas of mental health treatment, suicide prevention and trauma. Crisis-Response-and-Mental-Health-June-11-2020-talkDownload

To expand awareness and understanding of the guidance, FEMA’s National Preparedness Directorate is conducting webinars. The webinars will allow emergency managers an opportunity to discuss how the guidance can assist jurisdictions review and modify their plans given the constraints and limitations of the ongoing pandemic. Please consider registering for one of the webinars. Space is limited so register soon: Upcoming Webinars Webinar 6: FEMA Adobe Connect 11 – 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 23. Webinar 7: FEMA Adobe Connect 4 – 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 24. Webinar 8: FEMA Adobe Connect 2 – 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 25. Also, check out the COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance Document available for download.

Here is a quick note about some COVID-19 and other preparedness training resources National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) As you know, National VOAD has been holding training webinars for COVID-19 for VOAD partners.  To sign up for the NVOAD email list please visit:  https://www.nvoad.org/join-our-mailing-list/.  If you missed their past webinars, they have uploaded them to their YouTube page at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvBA8K70vuSlakwxZNui0yg/videos.  Remember to subscribe to their channels and hit the alert button to get notified when new videos are posted. FEMA Region II The Folks at FEMA Region II have been holding many webinar trainings around COVID-19.  You can view these webinars and others here:  https://www.fema.gov/region-ii-national-preparedness.  The webinars have been open to programs outside Region II.   Listos The Listos program has created a new YouTube channel and will be uploading training videos in both English and Spanish.  Visit their page at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IDQXe8zKgj9G9sFHHgFCg.   Listos is an 8-hour conversation-based preparedness training program for individuals and families.  For more information, visit their website at https://listos.awareandprepare.us/aap/.