CERT Basic Class enrolling now

What a busy few months it has been for the CERT program!  First an earthquake that luckily we did not have to respond for but we would have been ready.  Next, there was the hurricane.  Once again we were prepared and fortunately got through with no major incidents.  Then we had the lost child in Audubon that a group of members from our team played a major part in finding. 
Sometimes there is excitement...sometimes there's not, but it is always good to be ready.
If you are interested in learning more about how to help yourself, your family and your neighbors in the event of these and other emergencies you are in luck.  There is a CERT class forming now.  The information is as follows:    Date:    Friday November 18th 7pm to 10pm
              Saturday November 19th 8am to 4pm
              Sunday November 20th 8am to 4pm (at the latest)

Location: Mount Ephraim Court Room-121 South Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059

Please call or email Jay Vilardo to register by November 10th.  All students will be required to bring a pair of good fitting work gloves, preferably leather palm or all leather.  Wear long pants and open toed shoes are not allowed.
Jay Vilardo   vilardo@camdencounty.com  or cell (609)929-9604

Flood Watch

FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE ... NORTHEAST
MARYLAND ... NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA ... INCLUDING
THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN NORTHERN DELAWARE ... NEW CASTLE. IN
NORTHEAST MARYLAND ... CECIL. IN NEW JERSEY ... CAMDEN...
GLOUCESTER ... HUNTERDON ... MERCER ... MIDDLESEX ... MORRIS...
NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON ... SOMERSET ... SUSSEX ... WARREN AND
WESTERN MONMOUTH. IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA ...BUCKS...
CHESTER ... DELAWARE ... MONTGOMERY AND PHILADELPHIA.
* FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BECOME MORE NUMEROUS LATER
MONDAY INTO TUESDAY, AS SOME ENHANCED TROPICAL MOISTURE GETS
PULLED NORTHWARD AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT, AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL
BE POSSIBLE. IN GENERAL, UP TO 1.50 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED
ACROSS THE AREA. HOWEVER, LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE WHERE SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOME MORE
CONCENTRATED.
* GIVEN THE VERY WET CONDITIONS OF LAST MONTH, THE WATER LEVEL ON AREA STREAMS, CREEKS AND RIVERS REMAIN HIGH. THE ANTICIPATED
RAINFALL CAN LEAD TO RENEWED FLOODING ESPECIALLY ON THE SMALLER
WATERWAYS, AS WELL AS FLOODING ON SOME ROADWAYS AND IN AREAS OF
POOR DRAINAGE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP

Governor Announces Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA) Approved for Camden County for Hurricane Irene Major Disaster Federal Declaration

From NJOEM:

Press release from Governor’s office (9/3/11) announcing federal disaster aid for additional NJ counties.

IA extended to Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Middlesex, and Salem counties;

IA & PA approved for Camden, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Sussex, and Warren counties;

PA approved for Mercer County.

Damage assessments ongoing; additional areas may be declared.

http://njoem.posterous.com/governor-chris-christie-announces-federal-dis

CERT team helps find missing boy

This Saturday evening, the CERT team was deployed to aide in a search for a missing 10 year old boy from Camden.  The boy was found safe and returned to his family thanks in part to a tip that Dana Aversa accompanied by Chris Dutill, John Kelley and Michele Vilardo from the CERT team got from 2 fisherman on Peters' Creek in Oaklyn.  The CERT team used their training to canvas an area and speak to people on the streets to try to locate and narrow the search area for the missing boy.  The boy was found within approximately a half an hour after receiving the tip from the fisherman.
Thank you again to the CERT team, your training and response were a major contribution.  To anyone who would be interested in being trained to help out in this and many other situations, please contact Jay Vilardo at vilardo@camdencounty.com or you can e-mail mtephraimoem@gmail.com.