2009 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW

They say, "A picture says a thousand words."

The above "shots" show our CERT Team in various activities during 2009. As the pictures show Our Volunteers had a very good year, and look forward to an even better 2010.

PIZZA NIGHT FOR CERT VOLUNTEERS

Our team celebrated its' first anniversary during the December 10 meeting. Our family members also attended this milestone meeting which was at Town Center, and ran from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Our Volunteers also celebrated a year with no disasters while enjoying some great pizza.

Gregg Speers, of the East Naples Fire Dept, took time from his busy schedule to meet with us, and share some pie. The Pizza's were purchased by the team from Rick's Place, which is our community's new restaurant.

The pictures tell the rest of the story.

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE

The VeronaWalk CERT team's December 10th meeting will be in our Town Center at 6:00 P.M.

As planned we’re going to have a pizza party to celebrate our teams first anniversary, and a year in paradise without any disasters.

Don’t forget to bring your spouse, or guest and bring any refreshment you care to drink. Please respond to the email sent to all team members in regard to attendance and costs as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing all of you there.

CERT DRILL: TEAM LOCATES AND ASSISTS VICTIM

The first alarm went off at 7:00AM. A horrible time to get up on a Saturday morning, but we did. If we were lucky we got a cup of coffee before grabbing the gear and arriving at Town Center by 8:00AM to conduct a planned Team Drill.

With everybody signed in we were given our radios and the mission was explained. An elderly man with Alzheimer's Disease was missing within the community.Our task was to Search and Rescue

Multiple teams were quickly assigned search areas and worked searching specific streets and common areas. As clues were found they were reported and noted at the Command Center. Eventually we heard the call: "We found the man."

With the mission completed the Team reassembled at Town Center for a debriefing and some good old doughnuts. Job Well Done.

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE: DRILL NOV 7

On Saturday, November 7, at 8;00 A.M. our team will meet in the card room of our Town Center for a briefing and radio distribution prior to our drill.

Please bring the following equipment and wear your team shirt, CERT vest, ID card, whistle, pen and writing paper. Wear comfortable shoes. Sandals are not recommended. Wear a hat,(CERT hard hat optional, shorts are OK).

Bring drinking water, and wear sunscreen. We will be away from the Town Center for the drill, you may wish to car pool to the drill area once the briefing is completed. We should have a little fun, and sharpen our skills. The entire days activities, including a de-briefing back at the Town Center, should be no more then 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

This drill we take the place of our previously scheduled Nov. 19Th meeting.

MONTHLY MEETING TURNS INTO A MINI SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION

There was a regular meeting of the VeronaWalk CERT Team on October 15. The meeting, as usual, was at Town Center, and was well attended.

A demonstration involving our radios was planned, however the TEAM received word shortly after 7:00 PM that there was a child lost in the community. "Little Billy" became the teams focus, and the radios were given an excellent test.

An "Incident Commander" was quickly identified, and he dispersed teams to conduct a "search and rescue" operation. We even went to the Car Wash looking for our subject. It took our well trained team less than thirty minutes to find the missing child. In this case "Little Billy" was a sheet of paper, in a plastic covering, which served as the teams ultimate clue.

On top of successfully finding the missing child the team also identified one defective radio. You never can tell what practice drills will reveal. Bottom Line: A very good night for our TEAM.

CAPTAINS MESSAGE

The next VeronaWalk CERT team meeting will be held on Oct. 15, at 7:00 PM in our Town Center.

We will conduct a mini search and rescue drill at this meeting. This will be a prelude to an upcoming Saturday drill. All team members are requested to bring their vests, flashlights, and helmets, plus a pen or pencil and something to write on. You do not need to bring any additional equipment.

We welcome anyone interested in joining our team to attend that evening.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TOUR

On Tuesday, Sep. 29, 2009 several members of our V.W. CERT Team toured the Emergency Management Command Center. The building is located on Lely Cultural Dr, behind the library. It is easy to recognize as it is the tallest building in the area.

The building is a multi million dollar state of the art structure built to provide citizens of Collier County the best emergency management. It is said to be able to withstand a category five hurricane, and function for several days on its' own power source.

It is good to know that in the event of an emergency our County is well prepared.

GUEST LECTURER AT MONTHLY MEETING

Members were given a treat at the monthly meeting on September 24th. Bob Coffeen gave a one hour presentation on Search and Rescue procedures. He also shared some of his experiences in the military focusing on how it blends into his current preparedness to help in an emergency. There were many questions from our CERT Team, and from guests from the Lely Resort who are interested in establishing their own Cert Team.

CATAINS MESSAGE

The next CERT meeting will be held on September 24, at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Center. An urban search and rescue training session has been specifically designed for VeronaWalk. This is training our team has previously not undergone. Our team continually trains, and works hard to ensure a safer community in time of need. All team members are urged to attend this new training session. Any resident wishing to learn about our program is welcome to join us.

The first 72 are up to you, join C.E.R.T. and help make a difference

SUPPLIES DISTRIBUTED AT MEETING

At the Aug.13 meeting our C.E.R.T. received some supplies to add to the emergency kits, and also received training regarding the use of gas operated generators.

The pictures, worth thousands of words, tell the story.

Additional news to note: Two new members have signed on with our team.

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE

Our next meeting will be next Thursday, Aug.13th at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Center. All team members, associate members and anyone interested in joining our team are urged to attend.

We're in the middle of hurricane season and we will review our plans should a storm, or disaster target VeronaWalk. Please make every effort to attend.

Our supply order, from the grant, has arrived and we'll distribute the materials at that meeting.

MEETING - JULY 16

The regular meeting on July 16 was held at Town Center. Those present participated in training to reinforce their skills with various types of bandages, dressings, slings and splints.

This was a one hour session that addressed various injury scenarios. We had a good deal of fun during the training, while also making ourselves ready, in the event of an emergency, to help our neighbors.

The pictures reflect part of the training session.

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE

All team members are urged to attend our radio training session on Saturday, July 11 at 8:30 A.M. in the Town Centers Napoli Room.

We'll go over basics in the Napoli Room, then move outdoors to use the radios, get familiar with them, and learn a few techniques such as relaying messages. Not only will this session be informative, I think it will also be fun.

You do not need to bring all your CERT gear, but Id suggest wearing your shirt and vest, wear a hat not a visor, bring bottled water, and use sun block. Shorts, sandals are OK, just be comfortable and protect yourself from the strong Florida sun.

Our next scheduled meeting will be on Thursday July 16, at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Center. We will discuss and practice bandaging, splits and basic first aid.

SAVING A LIFE

Special training was the focus of the June 11 meeting our Verona Walk CERT Team. We fortunate to have members of the Fire Department present to not only lecture but demonstrate proper technique in implementing CPR and using our AED equipment.

The pictures show our team working on a training mannequin. Note how the electrical leads are placed on the body, and then how team members get "clear" before the shock is administered.

Having knowledge of how to use these techniques and equipment could someday save a life. That's why we are there. Hopefully we won't be needed, but if we are, we will be prepared.

CAPTAINS MESSAGE

Team members, our next meeting will be held on June 11, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Center. Basic first aid will be the topic and will include a hands on training session. We will have an expert on hand to help, and answer our questions. Please make an effort to attend as hurricane season starts on June 1^st. Lets be prepared to serve our community

NEW CAPTAIN

At the May 21, 2009 Meeting there was a change at the helm.

Paul Prasek was introduced as the Team's new Co-Captain. Paul, a full time resident, is to be congratulated on taking on this new role.

Jerry Kowalewski is our outgoing Co-Captain. He will continue to serve the TEAM while balancing time between Family, CERT, and Hunting.

The best of luck and health is offered to both team members.

OUR FIRST DRILL

On Saturday, May 9, our team reported to Town Center to test themselves in a hurricane emergency.

Following coffee the team was advised that they would soon be notified by a "neighbor" that there was an accident on the Lake Trail involving a golf cart. There were two victims. Phone service was out of commission, so there was no call to 9-11.

Our Incident Commander sent out Search and Rescue members to locate the victims, and clear the area of dangers. Safety was on everyone's mind.

It was quickly determined that the driver of a golf cart lost control of the vehicle due to a heart attack. The second victim fell breaking a leg and sustaining a severe chest wound.

The team comforted the victims, allowed heart patient to take his own medicine, and put the second victim's leg in a splint. The chest wound was also addressed quickly and efficiently.

The next step was to wait for the professionals. Exercise concluded. Good job everyone.

A REASON TO BE CONCERNED

On May 8Th residents observed some dark clouds to the rear of Verona Walk. It was soon learned that the smoke was from another brush fire.

This one got fairly close to us. Several neighbors were able to observe the water being dropped by the fire helicopter on the blaze, and then refill in the water bag in our waterways.

Here are a few pictures taken from inside Verona Walk of the fire and the response.

THIS MONTH'S MEETING DATE

Members of the VeronaWalk C.E.R.T. Team be advised that the next monthly meeting will be on May 21, 2009

The meeting will be at Town Center at 7:00 P.M.

This meeting is an open meeting and members of our community are encouraged to attend and learn more about our program.

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE - DRILL MAY 9th

On May 9th CERT Team Members will meet in the Tuscany Room at Town Center at 8:00 AM for a drill briefing.

Bring your CERT equipment, hard sole shoes, water and sun screen.

This session will last 2 - 2.5 hours.

Please make every effort to attend our first drill.

VERONA WALK HELPS TALL OAKS, AND ALSO GRADUATES NEW TEAM MEMBERS

On Friday April 17, 2009 "The Tall Oaks Development" held a final test drill for its' first C.E.R.T. Team. Several residents of Verona Walk were also in this training class and graduated too (with honors). They will now become full fledged members of our team.

The "drill" ran roughly from 9:45 A.M to 11:00 AM. It was followed by a debriefing session.

Initially "victims" were placed in a large field with various injuries. The field had many obstacles for the CERT Team to overcome in order to provide help to the injured. These obstacles included broken pipe, debris, fire, and a truck having a live electrical wire on it making the rescue more difficult.

The team moved into the area in an organized fashion. Victims were quickly tagged identifying the nature of their injuries. Medical teams arrived and treated those victims still "alive." Those that could walk were guided to a safe area to await professional help.

East Naples Fire Fighters arrived on the scene and were quickly briefed as to the situation and nature of injuries. They moved in and quickly resolved all issues at the scene.

The Fire Fighters participated in the debriefing at the Tall Oaks Club House, and were genuinely pleased with the effort put forth by the graduating class. Certificates were presented along with ID Cards for the graduates. The morning concluded with handshakes, smiles, pizza, and a few picture.

MEDICAL AND TRIAGE CLASS

At the April 16Th monthly meeting, members of the VeronaWalk Cert Team participated in an advanced class focusing on medical and triage functions.

Frank Banner was the guest lecturer. Frank is extremely knowledgeable, but more important he has shown himself to be a true friend. He has often been to Town Center to provide training for our team.

We had a good meeting. Questions were asked and answered. Members not only learned more techniques for use in the field, but grew stronger as a true team. This is certainly beneficial for our community.

CERT TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

The VeronaWalk CERT teams next meeting will be held on April 16, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. in our Town Center. All team members, and those interested in joining the team are urged to attend. The topic to be reviewed will be TRIAGE. We also have much information to announce prior to hurricane season. We look forward to seeing you there.

CERT TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Tall Oaks will be holding its final drill on April 17 from 9:00 AM to Noon. Would any VeronaWalk CERT team members be interested in helping them by playing victims at their drill. Please respond to Barry at veronawalksafety@yahoo.com as soon as possible.

Tall Oaks has allowed VeronaWalk residents to train with them. Their help is greatly appreciated.

VW TEAM PARTICIPATES AT COUNTY DRILL

The last day in February our V.W. Team responded to the County Fair Grounds to participate in a "disaster" at a local HS. The team put out all the fires, and saved the entire school.

We had a good time, and learned quite a bit. We also made many new friends.

These pictures are from the drill.