“By failing to prepare,
you are preparing to fail.”
—Benjamin Franklin
Written By Robin Shepherd
S
eptember is National Preparedness Month. First
responders want you to know that in the event of a
large-scale emergency or disaster, it could be days
before they get to your neighborhood. Until then,
you, your family and your neighbors are on your own.
Are you prepared for the next quake, flood, or wildfire?
If not, take heart. South County offers a wealth of resources to
help boost your preparedness whether you’re at home or the
office or in your car when disaster strikes. These resources are
designed to help you: create an emergency plan, stock up on
emergency provisions, and learn basic steps to safeguard loved
ones and help neighbors in an emergency.
The road to preparedness doesn’t have to be complicated
or costly and you don’t have to be a survivalist or a superhero
to make the journey. But you can’t do it alone. It takes
a community.
Sign Up for CERT
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
continues to be a popular program in Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
CERT training provides basic education on disaster prepared-
ness and response skills related to fire safety, light search and
rescue, emergency medical operations, as well as community
response team organization and disaster psychology.
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
It’s hard to overstate the value of this program. It is certified
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and
reflects several decades of knowledge gained in coordinated
responses to a range of disasters that impact our region. Each
of the program’s nine units are led by trained CERT volunteers
and other subject matter experts. The program is free to the
South Santa Clara County community.
Jennifer Ponce is the Coordinator for Morgan Hill’s Office
of Emergency Services (OES),
which oversees the CERT and
Ham Radio volunteer programs.
she has been with the City for
nine years. She is currently the
President of the Emergency
Managers Association. She also
serves with the Morgan Hill
City Manager as a member
of the Santa Clara County
Operational Area Council.
Other roles include participa-
tion on the Santa Clara County
Hospital Preparedness Coalition,
Jennifer Ponce
the California Emergency
Coordinator, Morgan Hill
Services Association, and the
Emergency Services
International Association of
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
gmhtoday.com