Melva Gifford

Here is a continuation of my notes on Week six of CERT class. I’m going to break them down into smaller segments.

Three goals of on-scene management:

1. maintain safety of disaster workers. This is done by prioritizing responses based on teams by capability and training. CERT members work on the buddy system.
2. Provide clear leadership and organizational structure: this is bound to the chain of command in the specifically assigned roles. Each person only reports to the person directly above them. Undesirable racial is 3 to 7 rescuers per supervisor
3. Improve the effectiveness of rescue efforts: disaster information is collected, prioritized, responded to by the for the largest number of people according to responders training and capabilities. Communication should be by clear language understood by all.

It a disaster situation:

• Identifies the scope of incident (what is the problem?)
• Determines overall strategy (what can we do, and how will he do it?)
• Deploy teams and resources (who are going to do what?)
• Document actions and results.

Need for flexibility:

• Disasters create an ever-changing environment.
• Framework is flexible to expand or contract depending upon ongoing assessment and resource availability
• Keep in mind: rescuer safety, for the greatest number, a manageable span of control and accountability of CERT members

CERT hierarchy:

• Incident commander:
• Operation section’s chief:
• Logistics section chief:
• Planning section chief:
• Finance – administrative section chief

Incident commander system: ICS

• Is usually the first person on site. They may hand off this role to a pre-designated leader in that person arrives.
• Location of command and control incident is called command post. The IC stays in the command post. If they have to leave the mess delegate to someone in the command post.
• The IC will initially handle all command positions but as this involves he or she may assign personnel as needed to the four ICS command functions.
• The IC reports to the first fire or law enforcement official of their location and take direction from that person or until the CERT is relieved.
• The IC is responsible for signing or reassigning section to handle specific aspects of the response.
• Provides overall leadership.
• Insures incident safety
• Determines incident objectives
• Responsible for all functions until delegated
• Provides information to internal and external parties
• Exceptions and maintains liaison with other responders (firefighters, law enforcement, public words or CERT
• Takes directions from agency official

Operation section:

• Direction coordinates all incident tactical operations such as search and rescue
• Is one of the first functions be assigned

Planning section:

• Tracks resources status i.e. number of CERT members who reported for duty
• Track situation status
• Prepares the team action plan
• Develops alternative strategies
• Provides documentation services

Logistics section:

• Provides medications
• Provides food and medical support to team members
• Manage supplies and facilities
• Keep track of equipment
• Ensures a board equipment is returned in the same condition as borrowed
• It’s recommended to have 3 x 5 cards to label each piece of equipment by model number etc. helps keep resources organized
• If a store donates 5000 water bottles document. They may be a resource if you need more
• You layer section commanders by the more people you gather who want to help.
• Most people can only keep track of 3 to 5 things effectively SUV: spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers. Some of these could act as your scribes. Or could be trained to help in certain tasks
• It’s recommended to have a separate log for SUVs, a separate log for CERT, a different log for had radio, and for medical trained individuals

Finance and administration section:

• Contract negotiation and monitoring
• Timekeeping
• Cost analysis
• Compensation for injury or damage to property
• Finance administration is a function in the formal ICS but CERT may not need it.

CERT operations:

• Each CERT must establish a command structure
• CERT assigned to logistics – manage resources, services and supplies
• CERT assigned the planning – intelligence: collect and display information; collecting and compiling documentation
• CERT assigned operations: conducting fire suppression, medical operations, search and rescue
• Each unit must have an identified leader to supervise tasks being performed and to report information to his or her designated leader. CERT personnel assigned operations to consist of 3 to 4 people.
• One personal service runner and communicate with command post
• Two people buddy up to respond to immediate needs. Search and rescue must include at least four people with a safety person remain outside of the area to be searched place to be able to conduct the search. One of these people will also be documenting the events of the search.

Today at Stake conference I heard of missionary’s experience trying to teach the gospel to an investigator. She talked about how people can have the testimony of certain things but not on others. From that talk I came up with the following object lesson.

When you talk to investigator you want to determine what similar beliefs you share and what beliefs a different. For example the LDS and other Christians have a firm belief that the Bible is the word of God. It is xcripture. In the Bible there are multiple principles that we also share and you can start making a list of those similarities. Some example are faith, repentance, salvation etc.. You can put a rock in one pile to represent each of the things that you share in common.

Then there might be a pile of principles that the investigator does not yet have a testimony on. For example, some people are not used to the idea of tithing, where they devote one 10^th of their income to God. That tithing stone might be put in a ‘build a testimony’ pile. They will then be encouraged to pray and study about that particular principle they do not yet have a testimony on. There might also be a rock of the idea that God talks to man today as he did anciently and connect that idea to a modern prophet.

The missionary can discuss the traits of prophets and then compare them to the teachings and traits of modern prophets. Ask the investigator. What were an ancient prophet’s duties what were their words? Then start making comparisons and ask if God consistent? Start making a list of similarities of ancient and modern profits.

This technique can show how much we share in common already.

I thought this a make a great idea as an object lesson for new investigators of the church or any investigator that wants to know answers.

Have something to add? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

These are notes from the meeting I attended tonight where family and friends of LaVor Finicum told their experiences concerning the events of the killing of LaVor. Any misrepresentations or inaccuracies are the fault of the note taker.

LaVor as well as other ranchers had been occupying part building to protest overreach by the government and the BLM. A private video was released by the local police that showed that LaVor was killed while his hands were up which conflicts with the silent video posted by the FBI that indicated that LaVor was not shot until he reached for a gun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnCvd7RtZn0

House Bill 276 was passed. The current governor of Utah had the capability to scratch out certain lines in the bill such as those referring to justice management being handled by the government rather than local authorities. Gov. Herbert made no changes in the bill and passed it as is. He could have made changes.

Here are some of recommendations given by the Q&A:

• You can’t give what you don’t have.
• Ask yourself, do you have repenting to do? Use your agency appropriately. Make changes in your life so you can be more virtuous.
• Was the gun that was on LaVoy’s person stolen? Someone that did not have a gag order said no
• The reasons that the ranchers went to Oregon is that they didn’t like how the Hansons were being ignored with their pleas for the government to pay attention to their concerns. The ranchers went Oregon to get more attention.

Advice to us as an audience:

• Children the Constitution, they can’t defend it if they don’t know it.
• Don’t go anywhere without a camera.
• Asked why?
• Write letter sent to those who are incarcerated. They are discouraged and would appreciate emotional support.
• The first casualty of war is truth
• Be a people watcher. There are provocateurs who intentionally infiltrate a group to disrupt it and to give it a bad image. They may be a plant.
• Don’t be stupid.
• We do have the right to protect property and liberty.
• Radio show that talks about liberty: http://libertylineup.com/
• LaVor’s website that has me of his videos: http://onecowboystandforfreedom.blogspot.com/
• Possible website for legal defense funds: https://www.onecowboystandforfreedom.com/about-american-fight-for-freedom/
• If you would like to support these individuals are trying to stand up for rights and help with the legal fees, please submit my money to liberty lineup.org or Cowboys stand

Got this idea from grammar girl. Father means distance and the way you remember is that the word far is in farther.

Thanks grammar girl.

My last few blogs have been quite lengthy and I type all the notes of the class. I think I’ll start posting it in more manageable word counts.

ICS: (incident command system) is the same organization that is used by all emergency organizations ranging from Red Cross to FEMA. It originated from an organization called fire scope that was created in California after the problematic events of a huge fire that covered several counties and the lack of organization confronting those fires.

Three goals

1. maintain safety
2. provide clear leadership
3. improve effectiveness

ICS main functions:

1. provide orderly transfer of command
2. recognize chain of command
3. Reports only one person, one level up through the chain of command.
4. Unified command – common commands.
5. Manageable span of control
6. Modular expandable organization. A command center may start small but will expand as needed room is needed for additional functions. People do not do tasks and tell specifically assigned.
7. Managed by objectives
8. Incident action plan. Must be written and prioritized by most effective
9. Comprehensive resource management. Each object of resource from people to generators had their individual resource number.
10. Designated facilities – where commands post
11. Common terminology – use plain language.
12. Integrated communication
13. info and intelligence management
14. accountable – such as check-in, checkout, reports, the only your job and not someone else’s

The three D’s of disaster:

• Define scope of incident. Is help coming soon only be days Russian Mark
• Determine overall strategy. What to do how to do it?
• Deploy resources where needed the most.
• Document actions and results. Do it as you go, people don’t remember what’s been done in the past. You remember better if a message is written down. You also need this documentation to report to professionals when they arrive.

(More this class will be coming next week)

These are the notes I took at the family history class the Sunday. Any inaccuracies or mistakes is the fault of the note taker. Hopefully it will be of use.

• Family history has its own variant of triage. They spell it tree age.
• This is a process where people and their family trees or evaluated according to their need.
• Have prayer before you begin your family history.
• Here are some important steps to help someone get started member or nonmember.
• Set up a meeting
• Evaluate the tree prior to your visit with them. Look at their tree in advance and see what areas might be good starting points for them.
• Evaluate situation what is the person’s goals. Find their heritage, obeying the commandments
• Create a plan of action.
• Evaluate the situation. Skill set of the researcher, what my interest them, access to the Internet with computers etc.
• Evaluate their interest level. This may be influenced by how much time have available. Life circumstances of being a single parent by having kids of being retired.
• Build a customized plan that meets the needs of each individual. In this plan identified the rest process to start from.
• A full tree is 5 to 7 generations.
• You can start doing the work for people older than 1905, otherwise you need to get the permission of a family member.

Have something to add? Please do so in the comment section of this blog.

These are notes from the meeting I attended tonight they are from a speech by Shawna Cox. She is a family friend to LaVor Finicum (LaVor is the man who was killed by the FBI in Harney County, Oregon. She is the same woman who did the biography or list of the events concerning Clive Bundy who objected to the BLM in Nevada.

Any misrepresentations or inaccuracies are the fault of the note taker.

Shawna was in the truck and videotaping when LaVor was killed. Comparing the video from inside the truck to the news broadcasts and videos posted by the FBI shows that information FBI shared was not accurate. The Oregon police one to post the video to maintain their integrity in the event.

LaVor as well as other ranchers had been occupying part building to protest overreach by the government and the BLM. A private video was released by the local police that showed that LaVor was killed while his hands were up which conflicts with the silent video posted by the FBI that indicated that LaVor was not shot until he reached for a gun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnCvd7RtZn0

Shawna and others cannot say much because they were given a gag order. Because of that gag order they cannot communicate what really happened and to tell the truth. Down at the Bundy ranch the group prayed day and night to act wisely. A book was written called last rancher standing. She shared that these men believe that God is in charge.

HB 276 creates a new government bureaucracy/agency called the DLM. It takes away the rights for the sheriff. Gov. Herbert had the opportunity to remove certain line items from the bill to maintain that Utah maintained its rights in its own area. He chose not to do so.

She encouraged us to find out what you should be doing. It is in the Lord’s hands. He involved with prayer.

Good: fuel

Bad:   fule

I have a hard time spelling this one. Here is a possible mnemonic. You fUEl such as oil or coal you have to go underground and extract it, thus the U and E.

Have a better suggestion? Please feel free to share.