Area communities step up disaster preparedness com

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the city of Agoura Hills is stepping up its emergency preparedness.

The city reopened its emergency operations center in January and has conducted numerous Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) meetings to train volunteers to help firefighters, police officers and medical professionals during a disaster.

Team members are trained in disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical intervention, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology and preparation.

Terrorism is also covered during the seven-week class and members learn how to identify different types of terrorist weapons and analyze risks and threats.

The Agoura Hills City Council allocated $10,000 in this year’s budget to reinstate CERT, which was active in the 1990s. Agoura Hills City Council-members John Edelston and Jeff Reinhardt recommended restarting the program.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina spurred officials to examine if they were doing enough to help citizens during a major earthquake, flood or even a terrorist attack.

New goals have been established, said Carol Tubelis, emergency operations coordinator.

“The only change that we’re working on is an improvement in preparing materials for citizens to download from the Internet to instruct them on how to stand alone in their neighborhood for 72 hours.”

Tubelis said the city has extra food and water and added that there are plans to increase storage space for emergency items.

In the past, the city has fared well handling natural disasters.

“When the 1994 earthquake hit, it knocked me out of my bed,” said Bob Hazard, a member of the Disaster Response Team (DRT) since 1991 who now serves as the city’s training director. The city enacted its emergency plans after the earthquake and during fires and periods of heavy rain, he said.

After the earthquake, Hazard said members of the DRT met at the recreation center on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and went into action. The city was divided into quadrants, and teams of two DRT members were dispersed throughout the city.

During one period of heavy rain, the DRT was activated to help in Old Agoura, Hazard said. “We wore yellow jackets and directed traffic away from the flooded area.”

Hazard also said the DRT was able to help emergency personnel during a brush fire near Lindero Canyon Middle School. Thirty members helped the fire department by checking identification of people driving into the area and keeping spectators away so they wouldn’t interfere with the firefighters.

At one time, said Hazard, more than 300 people were trained in emergency response.

“In its heyday, Agoura Hills had one of the most recognized DRTs in the country,” he said.

Over a year ago, Agoura Hills established new CERT requirements designed to standardize training for first responders, said Hazard. Currently there are 25 to 30 CERT members.

If a disaster strikes, the city’s community room will be transformed into command central, also known as the emergency operations center. The room houses a radio closet, supplies, Internet and mapping capabilities, maps of schools and highways, evacuation area charts and other information. The city can be linked with county facilities and emergency services.

The community room would be mobilized within two hours after an emergency. In the event of a catastrophic disaster, Agoura Hills and other small cities would have to provide for themselves for up to four days, officials say.

Volunteer responders would make a crucial difference during this scenario.

Responders become the eyes and ears of their neighborhood during a state of emergency. Trained volunteers assess disaster areas by looking for buckling in the streets during an earthquake, gas leaks and other hazards. CERT members also learn first aid.

“I have been working with not only the city of Agoura Hills, but also the cities of Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and Malibu for the past three years, and the commitment to emergency preparedness in all these cities is apparent,” said Maria Grycan, a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department who conducts CERT training sessions. “They continuously review their plans, and I’m confident that they’re prepared to assist their citizens after an emergency.

“I cannot stress enough how vitally important it is for each individual to take some of the responsibility by being prepared to take care of themselves for at least three days, preferably 10,” Grycan added.

“Hurricane Katrina has shown us that individual preparedness is key,” said Grycan.

For further information on the Agoura Hills CERT classes, please call Carol Tubelis at (818) 597-7302.