1999 Brentwood/West LA Mini-Fair and Seminar
A handful of enthusiastic CERT graduates organized a local program on disaster preparedness at the Brentwood Library. Shauna Sorenson, Mollie Bowling, Herley Jim Bowling and Penny Kaufhold worked as a team in true CERT fashion.
Three VIP guests appeared to present information to approximately 20 westside neighbors.
Firefighter Mario Newte explained the CERT program in general and gave the group some very down-to-earth tips on the suppression of kitchen fires: Baking
Soda: Yes! Flour: No!
After the program, several attendees were asking about upcoming sessions of the seven-week course. The Disaster Preparedness Unit will be hearing from them. Copies of the CERT News, the green
"ostrich booklet" and quake/Y2K info sheets from the Red Cross were all available.
There were two speakers from the Red Cross, Janice Yarborough and Laura Martin. They addressed specific issues of Y2K and how the same principles fit into a "ready-for-anything" plan.
Gary Scott of S.O.S. Survival Products set up a display of basic supplies and equipment that "no home should be without". The solar/hand crank radios were very popular, and the toilet buckets were a sell-out. Gary has been through the full CERT training and was a welcome addition to the event.
Our publicity campaign was a combination of flyers at businesses along San Vicente Blvd., community notices sent to the UCLA Bruin and the LA Times, and a posting here on the CERT-LA web site. Each of the team members brought cookies or sliced vegetables for a festive atmosphere. We set out phone books open to the emergency response pages as a reminder to visitors that "how-to tips" are always within reach.
