(CERTified!)

Jen-Mei and Loke are now officially CERTified! (We passed our Community Emergency Response Team training!) The training, which was sponsored by the Alameda County Fire Department and consisted of two (very full) back-to-back Saturdays, reviewed leverage and cribbing (we can lift heavy, unliftable things off of people!), putting out (wastebasket-sized) fires (no really, we actually put out fires), and leading a search and rescue. We highly recommend the training as a great place to start in equipping yourself to be self-sufficient in a disaster, regardless of whether or not you join a volunteer response team. For the record - Oakland does not have an Emergency Coordinator right now, so unfortunately there are no organized ways to plug in as an emergency volunteer, and Oakland residents have to turn to other cities in the county for emergency trainings (Thanks a lot, Libby. Just so you know, you are leaving Oakland VERY VULNERABLE RIGHT NOW). Check out this Disaster Workplan AC’s Fire Department shared with us. The plan is broken down over a 6 month period so that getting prepared doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Heck, check out the rest of their docs while you’re at it! *Cough* Please know how to turn off your gas *cough* especially if you are my neighbor *cough*. Video with some highlights from the training to come!