Disaster Preparedness

Disaster professionals say the most important thing we can do is be prepared to survive for 72 hours in our homes. This first line of defense, called “Shelter in Place,” will save the most lives. To help you prepare, the Disaster Preparedness Task Force is offering a two-hour course to teach you what to do before, during and after a regional disaster.

The Get Ready Marin Program began in 2007 and has now taught over 650 people in the Ross Valley Fire service area. In 2008, the total attendance was over 180 students in homes and other venues. This program is a power point presentation that lasts approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the questions and discussions. The difference between this program and the CERT program is that there is no “hands on” training and it is only one evening. There is a booklet that is given to each student for their reference, along with various lists and information for them to bring back to their families to implement. Ross Valley has four volunteer instructors and Captain Craig Carroll to teach this course. The volunteer instructors are Tina Hunnenburg of San Anselmo, Chris MacDonald and Rita Lewis of Fairfax, and John Grey of San Anselmo for the Sleepy Hollow area. They have donated their time and their homes to present this program. We thank them for their support. In 2008, there was an increase in the number of presentations given in private homes, where neighborhoods got together and began preparing themselves for disaster. We hope to continue this trend and have more people transition to the CERT training as well.