Community Response Task Force

C.E.R.T Training

CRTF — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:05:27 +0000

Please tell your friends and neighbors about our upcoming C.E.R.T. training beginning on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Classes will be held at 100 North Houston Avenue, Philip Cezeaux Center, right next door to the Humble City swimming pool.

Class time is 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for eight weeks. Pre-registration is required, so if anyone is interested please email me at cchambers@humblepolice.com so I can sign you up. We still have room for a few more!

There will also be CERT class training at Lonestar College in Kingwood starting on Thursday evenings, February 23, 2012. The time will be 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Please contact David Corbin, Harris County CERT Coordinator for that class. His contact information is david.corbin@oem.hctx.net. Pre-registration is preferred on this class as well.

$1000.00 DONATION FROM HUMBLE AREA ROTARIANS.

CRTF — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:19:44 +0000

The Community Response Task Force accepted a $1000.00 donation from the Rotary Club of Humble Intercontinental. The donation was awarded during the Rotarians December meeting at the Humble Civic Center. Community Response Task Force Board members were on hand at the meeting and President Rodney Bryant accepted the donation check for the group. The Community Response Task Force is a disaster response group organized to network local resources for disaster response and relief. The group has members throughout the Hwy 59 North Corridor from Beltway 8 to Cleveland. The CRTF was organized shortly after hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated the need for cooperation between groups that traditionally assist with disaster relief. The CRTF membership includes faith based groups, businesses, emergency responders, clubs, and others who wish to assist in local disaster relief efforts. The CRTF members maintain a cadre of volunteers that maintain a communications network among members to provide information on area needs and what resources members have available for relief. In this way members can work together assisting each other to provide needed disaster relief. The CRTF is grateful for the donation received from local Rotarians. The funds will be used for membership recruitment and public education programs on disaster preparedness. For information on joining the CRTF or its activities go to CRTF.net on the web or call the Humble Office of Emergency Management at 281 446 4928. Meetings are bi-monthly and there are no membership fees.

Emergency Preparedness Workship

CRTF — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:53:57 +0000

Emergency Preparedness Made Simple

Sunday December 18th at 4:oo pm Calvary Christian Fellowship in partnership with the Community Response Task Force will hold a special workshop on emergency preparedness.

Would you like to be more prepared for emergencies, but you don’t know where to start?
You will have an opportunity to order emergency food supplies at discounted rates Discounts up to 25% from Food for Health International. (You can order supplies now via their website, but the discount will not apply unless you order at the Emergency Preparedness Made Simple Workshop Make sure to check out the website ahead of time so you know which products you would like to purchase with a discount on December 18)
Learn how to get involved in the Community Response Task Force
Discover the exciting world of emergency communication with Texas Emergency Amateur Communicators

Directions to Calvary Christian Fellowship in Kingwood Texas: CLICK HERE

HURRICANE SEASON ENDS, DROUGHT CONTINUES

CRTF — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:15:41 +0000

The Texas Gulf Coast was spared during the 2011 hurricane season. According to experts, the combination of dry air, wind shear and warm water led to unusually weak tropical systems. Of the 19 storms that formed, only seven became hurricanes.

Only two major storms struck the United States in 2011, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Irene caused 56 deaths and more than $10 billion in damage; Lee’s heavy rains killed 13 people and left about $1 billion in damage.

“A couple of storms threatened the Texas coast but dissipated quickly,” said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, director of the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. “So basically we’ve been monitoring drought-driven fires instead of hurricanes.”

According to the Texas Forest Service, since November 2010 nearly 29,540 fires have burned 3,978,201 acres throughout the state.

“Our Emergency Operations Center was at its busiest during the fires that erupted in September over the Labor Day weekend,” added Emmett. “We’ve extended the burn ban several times throughout the year and will continue to work closely with the Harris County Fire Marshal to monitor the persistent drought conditions.”

Although hurricane season officially ends on November 30^th, the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) will continue its outreach efforts. So far this year, HCOHSEM has offered close to 250 disaster preparedness presentations to help residents prepare for, respond to and recover from disaster.

Judge Emmett noted that the complete lack of hurricane activity presents a difficult sort of problem.

“As we get closer to the 2012 hurricane season, we don’t want residents to become complacent. Our area is still a target for devastating storms,” Emmett said.

Get the latest emergency information and sign up for alerts at www.readyharris.org.

Texas Emergency Management Conference

CRTF — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:44:08 +0000

The Texas Division of Emergency Management hosts a variety of events and training programs throughout the year. The most comprehensive event is the Texas Emergency Management Conference which will be held April 2nd-5th at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio Texas.

Click here to view past conference presentations.

Representatives of more than 30 agencies on the Governor’s Emergency Management Council attend, along with public officials from the local, state and national governments, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, Texas Military Forces, voluntary organizations and private sector partners. Officials from higher education, public education, health and medical care, border security and port security, transportation and cyber security also attend.

Why Attend?
Conference attendees have multiple opportunities to meet and network with local, state, and national emergency management professionals. Attendees also benefit from choosing among more than 200 workshops and training classes to attend covering a variety of all-hazards topics.

Why Exhibit?
Conference exhibitors receive prime opportunities to meet face-to-face with decision makers and emergency management professionals looking for essential products and services to help ensure their communities and organizations are prepared for the next event or incident.

Visit this page throughout the year for more information on future TDEM conferences, or call (512) 424-2138 to request more information.

NOVEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER

CRTF — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:37:01 +0000

CRTF presentation to Rotary International

On October 5th Clinton Johnson spoke about the role of the Community Response Task Force during the Humble Rotary Interna- tional meeting at the Humble Civic Center. CRTF members Shannon Sharp, Steve Cooper, Carole Chambers, Sergio Lopez, Richard Driscoll, Monica Watzak, Philippe Cras, Millie Garrison and Rodney Bryant from CRTF also attended. Johnson spoke about CRTF’s role in the community, some of its accomplishments and disaster related activities. CRTF members in attendance represented St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Humble OEM, HISD, ARES, Kingwood Homewood Suites, HAAM and Calvary Christian Fellowship.

Humble Rotary International Pledges $1,000.00 to CRTF

The Humble Chapter of Rotary International pledged $1000.00 to the Community Response Task Force to help fund it operations through 2012. CRTF has several growth projects in planning to improve its net- work and increase membership. This grant will help implement these programs and improve area disaster preparedness. Thanks to Rotary Interna- tional for their support.

C.E.R.T. CLASSES COMPLETED

Two local CERT training classes graduated another 50 volunteers. Another class in the Aldine area is scheduled for completion in the coming weeks. Harris County Office of Homeland Security supported the classes through their Citizens Corps program. City of Humble OEM and Kingwood College sponsored the training with facilities and instructors. Over the past four years over 400 local volunteers have gone through CERT training. CERT volunteers in our area are becoming more organized and are now represented with the CRTF. Many of the CERT volunteers are continu- ing to train in more advanced phases of disaster response and management. CRTF is currently exploring the inclusion of trained CERT volunteers into the CRTF’s incident management team. CERT is developing into an excellent source of ready and willing “boots on the ground” volunteer personnel resource.

Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Flunks Test

The Emergency Alert System was tested nationwide this Wednesday giving the federal government its first opportunity to assess the system’s reliability. Newsflash, it didn’t work very well.. As the test hit stations across the country at 2:00 p.m. EST, it seemed like the number of mar- kets reporting problems outnumbered the places where the alert went off without a hitch. Problems occurred in New York, Los Angeles, D.C., Denver, Tampa, Chattanooga, Greensboro, and the entire state of Oregon. The EAS system was developed during the Cold War primarily to warn of Nuclear Attack. It worked flawlessly In the 1960s when there were only three broadcast affiliates and public television. Wednesdays test made it apparent that the modern television system is more complex than the EAS system can cope with. We have a similar problem with local notification via telephone. 15 years ago functional telephone alert systems were put in service that made automatic calls to every home in designated areas advising of hazardous emer- gencies. Those systems are now as out dated as the telegraph, the technology cannot cope with cellular telephones. Communications technology is moving in so many different directions and so fast that Emergency Notification Technology cannot keep up. I would say we could go back to sirens and audio speakers spaced throughout towns, but you can’t hear those in our new tightly sealed and insulated homes. I guess the techno gurus may not be able to save our bacon. Looks like we may have to continue to trudge through life paying attention to what is going on around us. As a species, we have managed to squeak through doing just that for around 30,000 years. It would be nice to have a workable EAS system, but the fact is it may be impossible without halting technological innovation. I don’t believe the EAS system has ever been used nationally, and probably never will be short of a nuclear attack. If that happens the remaining survivors will probably know something is amiss. I don’t think I will loose any sleep tonight because EAS flunked its test. Anyway I will be asleep and miss the alert if it worked!!!!
Editorial by Clinton Johnson

CRTF Board near completion of Business Plan

CRTF may be a non profit group but is should still be run in a business like fashion. The CRTF Board made the decision to develop a business plan for the organization in order to better de- scribe its purpose, goals and methods to accomplish both. The Board enlisted some volunteer help from Sergio Lopez who came to the organization through CERT. Sergio developed a preliminary draft and the group is working to complete the project. The Plan is near completion and should be ready for presentation to the membership by the January meeting. As soon as the draft is completed it will be sent out to the membership to review. The Board hopes this will be a step toward better administering the CRTF program and improving the service. CRTF Website Update Moving Forward

One of our resident technogeeks, Rodney Bryant, has been updating the CRTF website. The updates to the site will provide more information about the group and allow posting of real time info on the site. Rodney is doing a great job. When you have time, take a look. If you see some- thing you think we should improve on let us know.

Hurricane Ike: Days of Misery

CRTF — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:21:22 +0000

This video shows damage that we (and others) encountered from the day after to two weeks after hurricane Ike. Thanks to Margaret for transportation, Matt and Catherine for their photos, and Matt and Laurie for acting as guides on the photo shoot on the Bolivar Peninsula, resulting in the pics Margaret and I have posted on the page.

Volunteering and Good Health

CRTF — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:02:42 +0000

Volunteering May Be Good For Your Health

By Adam Voiland

Could volunteering be good for your health? A new report that draws from the results of more than 30 studies on the topic says yes. According to the report, older people who volunteer enjoy longer lives, higher functional ability, and lower rates of depression and heart disease.

“Volunteering can give you a new sense of purpose and keep you active. If people volunteer regularly it helps contribute to the maintenance of a strong social network,” says Robert Grimm, director of the research and policy development office at the Corporation for National & Community Service, a government organization that promotes community service and published the report. This seems especially true in an American culture in which older people often find themselves feeling isolated and alone–proven risk factors for depression and other health problems. Two of the studies indicate that there is a threshold of about 100 hours per year of volunteer activity, or about two hours per week, required to achieve a health benefit.

The sense of social connectedness that volunteering can produce is critical, agrees Stephen Post, director of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, a Case Western Reserve University research group that focuses on the scientific study of altruism, compassion, and service. “The helping impulse is very fundamental. When it is locked off we do not flourish,” he says. Though Post acknowledges that the scientific study of altruism is new and that researchers have yet to tease out exactly how helping others could improve health, he notes that the stress hormones associated with depression, such as cortisol and epinephrine, have been shown to impair the immune system. By contrast, oxytocin, which seems to cause a “helper’s high,” may offer protective benefits. “Causality is such a complicated matter. Could we have the cart before the horse?” asks Post, referring to the reality that having good health in the first place allows higher rates of volunteering. But many of the studies–which control for this fact–suggest that volunteering provides an additional benefit.

Volunteers needed

CRTF — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:41:13 +0000

Disaster volunteers are being sought

by Julie Bonnin | April 12, 2010 2:36 pm

There’s no time like a hurricane to drive home how important community involvement can be. But an upcoming event highlights the need for community members to pledge their time and resources before the next big event. The Community Response Task Force is hosting a community day April 30 at the Humble Civic Center to highlight the group’s year-round activities and its impact during unexpected challenges like hurricanes. CRTF, formed locally after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is a separate entity from the federal Citizens Emergency Response Team. A non-profit group, it includes members from all the local area cities and unincorporated Harris County Areas, including area churches, fire departments, hospitals, Harris County Office of Emergency Management, City of Humble Office of Emergency Management, City of Houston Emergency Management, local businesses, Humble Independent School District, charitable organizations and amateur ham radio operators.

Carole Chambers, secretary /emergency management assistant for Humble, recalls one of the ways CRTF members came together during Hurricane Ike. City workers were already stretched thin when the city of Humble took a morning phone call from officials in Austin and learned that four 18-wheelers were en route, loaded down with needed supplies. It was great news, except for not having employees ready to meet the trucks. They had all been working all through the hurricane and hadn’t even been home or anything yet, and they didn’t have electricity in their own homes,” Chambers said. But because CRTF members jumped in, supplies were unloaded quickly and efficiently. CRTF members directed traffic, and got ice and water into waiting cars, among other things. It was a far different scene than when the area was impacted by evacuees from the two previous hurricanes. At monthly meetings, the CRTF board oversees the training of different segments of the group so that their preparedness is ensured. We’ve got them trained so that they can take care of themselves until the government gets to them,” Chambers said. The Community Day purpose is to bring awareness to the 160-member group and add more members. We want to reach out to citizens who want to help,” Chambers said. They don’t have to be college educated. Everybody brings something to the table.”

To become a member of the organization, visit the CRTF booth at the Civic Center on April 30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email Carole Chambers for more information at cchambers@humblepolice.com. CRTF meetings are at 1 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Homewood Suites, 23320 Hwy. 59.
Board members are Rodney Bryant of Calvary Christian Church; Philippe Cras, Homewood Suites; Richard Driscoll, Jr. of General Eclectic; Monica Watzak, St. Mary Magdalene Church; Steve Cooper, Humble ISD; Clinton Johnson, City of Humble Office of Emergency Management and Carole Chambers, City of Humble Office of Emergency Management.

Post Incident Care

CRTF — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:36:36 +0000

By STEFANIE THOMAS | 0 comments

The images of Hurricane Rita and its aftermath will forever remain imprinted in the memories of local residents – an endless sea of cars jockeying for position in an effort to flee the area; people dying on the freeways; hospitals on lockdown; then hundreds of thousands of evacuees seeking refuge at shelters across Harris County, pushing area resources to the limit and beyond.

Emergency management coordinators now call Hurricane Rita a learning experience. Great strides have been made in recent years on state and county levels to improve evacuation efforts, coordinate shelter and housing, provide for evacuees’ basic needs. Locally, a group of organizers vowed to never be unprepared again.

The Community Response Task Force, or CRTF, is a unique conglomerate of area businesses, churches, volunteer groups and emergency management officials from various organizations.

“We developed a network of emergency managers, community leaders, volunteer organizations etc. that already do post-incident care in our community. It’s not been done in very many other places, and the Humble area CRTF is leading the way,” said Rodney Bryant, CRTF president. “The idea is to bring together all aspects of community leadership to prepare and pre-coordinate community care without relying solely on the federal government or state and county assets. We want to pull together already existing resources.”

CRTF currently encompasses approximately 40 partner organizations predominantly from the Kingwood/Atascocita/Humble area, including retailers, members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), crisis chaplains, radio operators, churches, four area food banks, Rotary clubs and many more – all of which have the ability to provide assets such as human resources, logistical support or supplies in the event of a disaster. Under the leadership of individuals federally certified in incident management, CRTF serves northern Harris County and east Montgomery County, reaching communities along the U.S. Highway 59 corridor from Beltway 8 to New Caney, and Huffman to Spring. The organization also has access to a cadre of volunteers from around the area.

“Even though we all come from different organizations, all work different jobs – when a disaster strikes, the CRTF is a force-multiplying partner with these organizations. If the school – or Atascocita or the city of Humble – calls and says we need extra people to help us in this shelter, help us distribute food – whatever it may be – we’re ready,” Bryant said. “It is called Community Response Task Force, and community is the key. Just three weeks ago an individual who owns a biohazard cleanup company said he wants to help if something happens in his community – for free. That’s huge. When assets are stretched, this is exactly what we need.”

Clint Johnson, emergency management coordinator and fire marshal for the city of Humble, said CRTF’s greatest advantage lies in the ability to coordinate emergency management efforts with state, county and local governments as well as citizens and area businesses.

“There have always been hundreds of groups that helped during disasters, but they were individual groups and coordination was poor. Everybody was well-meaning, but there was a multiplication of efforts and there was not a lot of good information about what the needs were,” Johnson said. “During a hurricane in Florida, for example, there were groups everywhere collecting water, and it ended up being too much of a good thing. Now we can do more good and make sure the real needs are being met.”

CRTF hopes to help area communities to become self-sufficient for at least three days after an emergency event, said Steve Cooper, CRTF board member and director of Safe and Secure Schools for Humble Independent School District.

“We know that we will have to go at least 72 hours on our own. When the rubber meets the road, the state won’t be there to help us. They’ll provide us with assets 4-5 days later, but in the meantime we have to help ourselves,” Cooper explained. Aside from being a force multiplier, we are also a source of asset allocation – who has what and who needs what? Now we can take each other’s assets and use those assets where they’re needed. That means this community becomes self-sustained. We’re not dependent. We take care of our own citizens.”

Bryant said the more partner organizations sign up with CRTF, the better. Anyone is welcome to join. Volunteers are also needed. In an effort to prevent well-meaning helpers from creating unintentional mass confusion when an emergency event occurs, emergency management officials say they prefer for interested volunteers to sign up ahead of time. Officials encourage prospective volunteers to participate in a CERT class, Bryant said, although it is not required. Volunteers must be 18 or older unless they operate under the auspices of a partner organization.

“It’s not necessary to have training, but we encourage it,” he said. “Either way, we’ll find a place for you.”

Aside from coordinating emergency response efforts specifically for CRTF communities, the organization also takes an active role in hurricane preparedness education. With the most active part of hurricane season for Texas rapidly approaching, Bryant said now is the time to get ready. Pre-packaged emergency kits are available on the Internet, but CRTF recently teamed up with Alspaugh’s ACE Hardware in Kingwood to assemble emergency kits for area residents. And, Bryant stresses, hurricane preparedness does not need to be expensive.

“I received an email from a college student who said he doesn’t have much money – what to do? It’s pretty simple – get your backpack from school, get a change of clothes, pick up some beef jerky and cans of food – it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Some water bottles and you’re ready – 20 bucks,” Bryant said.

According to Humble Area Assistance Ministries, a CRTF partner which operates a food bank and two resale shops, one in three children attending Humble ISD now live below poverty level.

“This means that the average family in any disaster is not going to be able to sustain itself for a week or more without going to the grocery store. Unless they are prepared – and even a poor family can do that. All it takes is a few canned goods.”

Johnson said that people today are better educated in hurricane preparedness than ever before. Manufacturers of generators, for example, flooded the Humble area with their products immediately following Hurricane Ike, only to find that most residents had already purchased a generator and the demand had already dwindled, he said. Nor was there a mass exodus of area residents not located in an evacuation zone.

“People are more educated and a lot of the problems we saw during Rita have been addressed. Unfortunately, there won’t be another Rita,” Johnson said. “Every disaster is different, and each time there is a learning curve. So if we do not have some local preparation, we start behind.”

For more information on how to become a volunteer, tips for hurricane preparedness or to address questions, please visit www.crtf.net.