Tehachapi News

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Bear Valley Springs Community Emergency Action Team (CERT) members along with the Bear Valley Police Department, personnel from Kern County Fire Station-16, a Hall Ambulance Area Supervisor and Bear Valley Springs Community Service District workers, successfully completed the “Valley Disaster Exercise Drill-2008” for this year.
This year's drill was built around a supposed air plane crash on the valley floor.
As a mater of coarse as emergency plans were being put in place by the Bear Valley Community Service Office, members of CERT were called upon to provide pre-trained support services to the community. An evacuation order was part of the scenario and CERT members were called upon to work as teams going door to door to assist in this effort. Over a three-hour period, CERT team members establish road blocks, handled traffic control, assisted in evacuating local residents as well several who were ambulatory and could not “self-evacuate” from the affected area.
When the call came, CERT team members reported to various staging area's while the local Emergency Operations Center was being opened up in the Bear Valley Police station. The newly acquired, grant-funded, Mobil Emergency Command Post trailer was moved to Cub Lake to act as the “on-scene” operations center and from where CERT Team Leaders would dispatch its members.
As in past years, observers from the Kern County Office of Emergency Services were on hand to observe, and were once again impressed with the ease and efficiency of the call out.
G. Armstrong, one of the EOS observers stated, “Bear Valley’s CERT organization is so well-trained and managed that it acts as a blueprint and role model for other county CERT teams to follow.”
CERT is a nationwide organization, established in local communities through out the United States. New members are always welcome and information can be obtained by calling Jim Nelson 821