Buildings fallen down, street signs gone, familiar landmarks have disappeared.
How will you get around after a major earthquake? Yes, bicycle is one way, walking another,
but will you know how to get where you want to be?
Come learn the basics of map navigation with compass
(using a real compass, not the one on your phone!).
Chris Pulos, map & compass subject matter expert, co-coordinator for LAFD CERT B12,
Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, and instructor for many subjects at North Valley Military Institute
(the same folks that will be processing your check-in and/or registration at the Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair)
will show us how to navigate with just a map and a compass.
If you have a magnetic compass, please bring to the meeting.
This is a hands-on exercise.
Neighborhood Council Emergency Preparedness Alliance (NCEPA) September Meeting Canceled
Each neighborhood council should be sending one or two representatives to these meetings. If you are on a neighborhood council and/or attend their meetings as a stakeholder, ask if your neighborhood council has a rep, and if not, ask why not.
The September meeting is canceled. The next meeting will be October 27.
For more information, contact Len Shaffer, Chair, at Leonard.Shaffer@lacity.org.
Location:
TBD
Date & Time:
Saturday, October 27
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
The Fair! The Fair! 11th Annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair Saturday, September 29
- Exhibits
- Demonstrations
- Displays
- Speaker Series
- Jaws of Life vehicle extraction
- Radio communications
- Special Events
- Fire extinguisher instruction
- Neighborhood Councils
- Bloodmobile (Donors get in early)
- Pet Preparedness
- Free admission and free parking
Register your family at www.ValleyDisasterFair.com. Web sign-ups will be emailed additional information and a Voucher that will speed you through onsite check-in and that can be exchanged for a Kit Token good for one Family Emergency Preparedness Starter Kit during Fair hours, while supplies last. Kits for registered families only. Registration will also be available at the Fair. When the Kits are gone, they’re gone, so first come, first served. Remember, to receive the Family EP Starter Kit, distributed ONLY at the Fair, you will need a Kit Token.
Check the website for the latest information.
Granada Hills Street Faire Saturday, October 6, 2018, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Annual free family event in Granada Hills along four City blocks of Chatsworth St., from Zelzah Ave to Encino Ave. That entire section of the street will be off limits to vehicular traffic, as will cross streets along the path.
The Granada Hills Street Faire was first introduced to the community in 2001 and grew to one of the Valley’s largest single day events attracting over 15,000 people from all over Los Angeles City and County. Four city blocks of Chatsworth Street in downtown Granada Hills are transformed into a traditional street faire with activities for the whole family. Entertainment stages, a wide variety food choices, children’s activities, numerous arts & craft vendors, city services and local businesses make this an event not to be missed. Organizing by Granada Hills Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to enhance all aspects of the community.
Here are a few highlights. Flyer attached:
- Huge Car Show with over 70 cars from Classic, Hot Rods, Low Riders, Custom, Trucks and more
- Food Court
- Over 20 food vendors
- Stage with entertainment
- Fun Zone
- Arts and crafts for purchase
- Amusement rides
- Over 120 vendors
- Prizes
- Pet adoptions
- Oktoberfest with 7 local micro breweries and wine tasting
Southern California Preparedness Foundation will be there, too, so stop by and we’ll talk EP (Emergency Preparedness). Granada Hills residents can stop by for a free kit.
One-Day Ham Radio Class and Exam in Agoura–Sunday, October 21
Norm (K6YXH) and Naomi (WB6OHW) Goodkin’s next one-day Study & Exam Session for the Technician (entry-level) class will be on Sunday, October 21, 2018. If you’d like to attend, get in touch with Norm soon, as those who prepare ahead of class do better in class. Learning Morse code is no longer required for any ham license, and you can miss up to 9 questions on the 35-question multiple choice Technician exam and still pass. Exams for General and Amateur Extra are also offered in the afternoon (concurrent with the Tech. exam) for just the cost of the exam session ($5).
These one-day courses are conducted quarterly and are designed to get you your amateur radio technician license as quickly as possible. Those passing the FCC exam typically are licensed within one week (your license info will appear in the FCC database–paper licenses are no long routinely issued, however, you may request a copy from the FCC).
The $75 Study & Exam fee includes instruction (no book to buy), lunch, the exam fee, and two follow-up sessions on the next two Sunday mornings. The follow-up sessions are held at the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station (27050 Agoura Rd., Calabasas, CA 91301). The first covers “What radio do I need?” and the second covers “How do I use and program my radio?” Exams for Tech (and all other levels) are also offered in the early morning of the two Sundays immediately following each quarterly Study & Exam session. If you are looking to upgrade your ham license, General and Extra Class exams are also offered at the same time (pay only the $5 exam fee). Many ham radio clubs and organizations offer the license exam throughout the Valley and the Greater Los Angeles area as well.
Once you have your ticket (license) you can get on the air with a radio that costs as little as $40.
For details and more information, contact Norm at hamclass@goodkin.net, via phone at 818-222-7893, or online at www.hamclass.goodkin.net.
Location for class and exam:
Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center
27040 Malibu Hills Rd.
Agoura, CA 91301
Date/Time:
Sunday, October 21, 2018
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Training Classes at SOS Survival Products
Check out all the great free and fee classes offered in the C. Denise Edwards Training Center at SOS Survival Products, Inc. Many are free to attend. Details at www.sosproducts.com and click on Training Classes
Location:
SOS Survival Products, Inc.
15705 Strathern St., Unit 11
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Lost Hiker Training Exercise. Generally conducted the second Saturday of the month at different locations. The exercise is designed to train CERT and other personnel in the techniques of search and rescue in mountainous areas of Los Angeles. They also train with LAFD-ACS which serves as communicators.
Contact Tom Wirth at paratom@dslextreme.com.
The next Hiking Assessment exercise will be:
Location:
Varies
Los Angeles, CA
Date & Time:
Saturday, October 13
TBD
CERT Community Meetings
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Community meetings are free and open to all. You do not have to be a trained CERT responder to attend these meetings. Meetings are held throughout Los Angeles. Information on these meetings and much more is available at www.cert-la.com.
To sign up for a class, go to eventbrite.com and search for CERT LA. You’ll see a listing of all the Los Angeles CERT training and other classes listed, and can click on the REGISTER button to sign up.
Resources For Getting Prepared
PDF files for personal, car, pet, work, home, kid’s go bag suggested contents, where these supplies can be purchased, and much more, are on the Southern California Preparedness Foundation website: SoCalPrep.us. Amazon is also a great place to shop.
What? You Didn’t Know?
Protecting our documents is just another way to protect ourselves. Through 11/10/18, Staples is offering a coupon good for up to 2 pounds of shredding for free. Perhaps not much, but it could get you started. Coupon code is 92149. Visitstaples.com for details.
Radio Nets Emphasizing Emergency/Disaster Preparedness
If you have a ham radio license and your call sign doesn’t appear here: ________,please let me know what it is. Licensed amateurs are encouraged to check in on the ham radio nets listed below.
FRS/GMRS nets. (Family Radio Service/General Mobile Radio Service.) Radio operators are encouraged to check into any (or all!) of the following nets:
Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council net meets every Sunday, 10:00 am (or at the conclusion of the ham radio EP net), on channel 15. NOTE change of channel!
Neighborhood Council Valley Village net meets the last Sunday of the month, 10:00 am, on channel 5.
Los Feliz Neighborhood Council net meets the first Monday of the month, 7:00 pm, on channel 15.
CERT South Bureau (Westside Village) net meets the first Tuesday of the month, about 7:30 pm (follows a ham radio net), on channel 15 via GMRS repeater. Net control may also be able to hear you simplex, so if you are not GMRS licensed, give it a try.
Amateur Radio (ham) nets. Licensed amateur radio operators are encouraged to check into any (or all!) of the following nets:
Lake Balboa Emergency Preparedness net meets every Sunday morning, 9:00 am, on 145.570 mHz simplex
Hillside Communities Emergency Communications (HCEC) net meets every Saturday morning, 8:30 am, on 144.505 mHz, +600 kHz, PL tone: 162.2.
CERT South Bureau (Westside Village) net meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm on the Hughes repeater, 445.620 mHz, -5 mHz, PL tone: 127.3.
Southern California Mutual Aid net meets every Tuesday at 7:00 pm on 447.820 mHz, -5 mHz, PL tone: 67.0.