Mock Damage Assessment and Radio Exercise

As part of our hurricane preparedness, Spruce Creek Security and CERT will be doing a drill Monday evening, May 13^th, between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm. The drill will be a mock hurricane damage assessment of the total community with radioed reports to a command center located at Wind Sock Park (the "Tree").

Assumptions for this exercise:

A surprise, major storm has affected the whole community.

All telephones and cell phones are out.

6 simulated emergency events (house fire, house roof damage, fuel fire, auto accident with injuries, group injury code yellow/orange, and group injury code red) have occurred, with one in each Zone.

Several simulated non-emergency damage items scattered throughout.

Only one Security officer available to alert CERT.

A communications person has been dispatched to the "Tree."

Mobilizing

A Security Officer will start the exercise by contacting the Zone Contact* for each Zone.

The Zone Contact will then contact the nearest CERT person in their Zone and go to the designated Zone assembly point, doing damage assessments along the way. They will have their radio on at this time.

The second contacted CERT person will likewise contact the nearest CERT person, turn on their radio, and go to the designated Zone assembly point, doing damage assessments along the way.

The contacting and assembly should continue until all CERT people within a Zone are mobilized.

From the assembly point, the members will fan out to assess the rest of the Zone for "damage."

 

Damage Assessing

Every street, taxiway, common area, and golf course** hole must be inspected and logged on a Zone Checklist. Be sure to travel the full length of each street and taxiway to check all houses, buildings, etc.

One sign will be posted in each Zone depicting an emergency simulation that requires immediate attention.

Several unspecified incidents that require logging and reporting (but not immediate attention) will be depicted by bright fluorescent tape tied to posts or trees located in community common areas.

Reporting (Note: This reporting procedure is a little different than the one we used in our first CERT radio exercise.)

The CERT channel is 9, sub-channel 11.

Zones may use their own channels such as 1-11 (Zone 1), 2-11(Zone2), etc., but someone in that Zone has to monitor 9-11. The buddy system would work best for this.

The Command Center will poll the Zones (this is new) for information to minimize radio traffic. For instance:

Command: "Zone 1 report"

CERT Team Person: "Command this is CERT 318, Zone 1, no damage Climatis and Golden Rod Way. Minor damage on Golf hole 2, over. "

CERT Team Person: "Command this is CERT 317, Zone 1, Silver Fern, Slow Roll no damage, over.

This continues until all Zone 1 members have called in. Command then goes to Zone 2,3, etc.

Emergency events (the six posted signs) must be reported immediately.

Interrupt any transmissions by pressing the Call Button (the music note).

Command will immediately respond to the Call and ask others to hold their reports until the emergency is taken care of.

Cert Team Person making the Interrupt Call relays the information on the sign to Command. Command acknowledges and then resumes polling the other Zones.

Once a Zone has been cleared, Command may ask those people to assist by going to another Zone or by coming to the tree, or whatever.

General Information

CERT members should wear full gear (vests, hats, backpacks). Please be real sensitive to the fact that Spruce Creek Citizens may not know what we are doing and they may get alarmed at seeing us in "uniform." Take the time to talk with them.

Each CERT member must have their CERT Field Manual or Spruce Creek Fly-In "CERT TEAM Zone Checklist. (Contact Susan Stratton, 304-6128, if you need a copy.)

Remember your own needs first… sunscreen, bug repellent, water, snacks, etc.

Use whatever transportation you have available. Remember, lights will be needed after dark.

We will critique this exercise at our 2 pm meeting on Tuesday, May 14^th, in the Kennedy Hangar, 222 Cessna Blvd.

* Zone Contacts:

**As of 5/6/02 we have not gotten permission to go onto the golf course or into water treatment area. Until we do get permission, simply observe these areas from the street.