Emergency Preparedness: Souhegan and Derry CERT


Emergency Preparedness for Disasters, Power Outages or the Zombie Apocalypse.

Presented by the Souhegan and Derry Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

Emergency Preparedness by Souhegan and Derry Community Emergency Response Teams

Watch as experts from the Souhegan and Derry Community Emergency Response Teams talk about what to do in an emergency from a Disaster and from Power lines. They will also give an update about #covid19 and what you can do to protect yourself. Town of Derry NH CERT Derry, NH Fire Department @Derry Police Department Town of Derry, NH Community Alliance for Teen Safety South Central NH Public Health Network #derrynh #derry #derry #local #derrycam #coronavirus #info #emergencypreparedness

Posted by Derry Community Access Media on Thursday, March 12, 2020

Power Outages, Pandemics – What Do You Need To Know?

Is your family prepared for a power outage lasting for weeks, months or longer? It is not a matter of “if” – it is a matter of “when.”

Did you know that the United States could experience a long-term national-scale power outage, such as from a cyberattack, solar storm or terrorist strike? The  U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security says that millions of Americans would die if there was a long-term power outage. Millions.

Is your family prepared for a power outage lasting for weeks, months or longer? Is your community prepared?

This session will review the threats to the electric grid, lessons learned from past disasters and what your family and your community can do now to prepare.This event was sponsored by the Souhegan and Derry Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

Key Emergency Preparedness Checklists:

Also See:

Video courtesy of DerryTV. DerryTV (a division of Derry Community Access Media), Channel 17 operates as the Government Access Channel for the Town of Derry, New Hampshire and Channel 23 operates as the Public Access Channel for Derry NH.


FREE Emergency Preparedness Seminar March 12, 2020

Souhegan and Derry Community Emergency Response Teams Present:

Emergency Preparedness for Disasters and Blackouts
(or the Zombie Apocalypse)

FREE! Register HERE

Thursday March 12, 2020 at 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Derry Municipal Center
14 Manning St. Derry, NH 03038

FREE! Register HERE

Derry

FREE Emergency Preparedness Seminar February 19, 2020

Souhegan and Lakes Region Community Emergency Response Teams Present:

Emergency Preparedness for Disasters and Blackouts
(or the Zombie Apocalypse) 

FREE!! Register HERE

Wednesday February 19, 2020 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Franklin Savings Bank Community Room
61 Laconia Road, Tilton NH 03276

Admission FREE!

FREE!! Register HERE

Emergency Preparedness for Disasters & Power Outages (or the Zombie Apocalypse)
Click For Larger View

The cavalry is not coming

On November 6, 2019 Souhegan CERT’s Michael Mabee presented “The cavalry is not coming” to IAEM-USA Region 1 (International Association of Emergency Managers) in a webinar on long-term power outages and how emergency managers can promote individual preparedness.


On August 15, 2019 Michael Mabee presented “The cavalry is not coming” for Lincoln County Maine Emergency Management Agency. Big thanks to Casey Stevens, Director of Lincoln County EMA for hosting this event! The event was broadcast live on Facebook – the video is embedded below.


The cavalry is not coming

Michael Mabee presented “the cavalry is not coming” at the New England Long Term Power Outage Summit in Hennikjer, New Hampshire, November 10, 2018.

FEMA’s Strategic Plan.

FEMA’s Strategic Plan has three goals:

1. Build a Culture of Preparedness
2. Ready the Nation for Catastrophic Disasters
3. Reduce the Complexity of FEMA

Building a culture of preparedness is a local issue. It starts with you. The government cannot “build a culture of preparedness” – this must be done by individuals, families and communities. The cavalry isn’t coming!

Take action now!

The cavalry is not coming

Emergency Checklist from Souhegan CERT

Souhegan Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has developed an emergency checklist to help your family be prepared for emergencies.

Most disasters we encounter in New England (e.g., hurricanes, ice storms, nor’ easters, etc.) can cause power outages. Additionally, there are numerous hazards that can cause widespread and long-term power outages. If we prepare for long term power outages, we will make our families and our communities more resilient.

Therefore, you want should think about the four survival subjects and how these can be impacted by a power outage:

  1. Food
  2. Water
  3. Shelter
  4. Security

This emergency checklist can help you make back up plans for an emergency. Prepare now – it is too late when the power goes out!

Click HERE for PDF Version

Emergency Checklist

Emergency Chcklist

Emergency Radios


Emergency Radios For Home, Vehicle and “Get Home Bag”

A few thoughts on emergency radios. I discuss some of the features I was looking for and do an overview of two emergency radios I bought – one for home and one for my get home bag.

Some of the things that both of these emergency radios have include the ability to charge the battery by either solar or hand crank, NOAA weather channels and emergency lighting. Both of these radios have these features and more. They each have some different features, but fit the purposes and functions that I was looking for.

For other items you should consider, go to our Emergency Checklists page.

Emergency Radios
Etón Scorpion
Emergency Radios
Kaito KA500 Voyager

Upcoming Events and Presentations


Wednesday February 19, 2020 – Souhegan / Lakes Region CERT Event:
“Emergency Preparedness for Disasters, Blackouts or the Zombie Apocalypse”
Location: Franklin Savings Bank Community Room 67 Laconia Rd, Tilton, NH 03276
Time: 6:00-9:00 PM
Eventbrite registration link


Thursday March 12, 2020 – Souhegan / Derry CERT Event:
“Emergency Preparedness for Disasters, Blackouts or the Zombie Apocalypse”
Location: Derry Municipal Center 14 Manning Street Derry, NH 03038
Time: 6:00-9:00 PM
Eventbrite registration link


Souhegan Civil Defense Corp. and Souhegan Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Upcoming Events:

(Presentations are being scheduled in Amherst, Mont Vernon, Milford and Lyndeborough New Hampshire) – check back soon for dates.


Donate Upcoming Events

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

Why You Should Attend The New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

In 2018, our society is moments away from adversity while generations removed from self-reliance. We are completely dependent on the electric grid for all things that make life possible. Today, there are numerous threats to the electric grid both from humans and nature. What would happen if there was a long-term power outage in the United States and how can we prepare for it?

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

You are invited to attend the

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit
 Saturday 11/10/2018
 New England College in Henniker, NH

This conference will be of interest to Emergency Managers, first responders, CERT team members, college students in Emergency Management or Homeland Security programs. Town, county and state leaders, legislators and policy makers would benefit also greatly benefit from this conference.

Registration:

Registration is available through Eventbrite and includes lunch.  Click HERE to register.

  • Registration is $30 
  • A discount for Police / Fire / EMS / FEMA / DHS / CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) members ($15 per ticket) is available until 11/9/2018
  • A student discount ($10 per ticket) is available until 11/9/2018
  • Students at New England College can register for free with valid student ID

Any proceeds after conference expenses will support non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations active in protecting the power grid.

Topics:

The morning session will provide unclassified briefings from nationally recognized experts on threats to the critical infrastructures.  The afternoon session will focus on community preparedness including an expert panel facilitated by Dr. Amir Toosi, Dean of Business Administration at Rivier University.

Among the confirmed speakers are Frank Gaffney (Center for Security Policy), Thomas Popik (Foundation For Resilient Societies), Tommy Waller (Secure The Grid Coalition), Dr. William R. Forstchen (author of  “One Second After“), Daniel C. Gregory (Shell New Energies), April M. Salas (Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth), Michael Mabee (author of “The Civil Defense Book”), Emergency Managers Justin Kates (Nashua, NH) and Dale Rowley (Waldo County, ME), Arlene Magoon (FEMA),  David Fortino (FEMA), Professor Todd Therrien (Rivier University) and others.

Attendees will leave with action items to build a culture of preparedness in their communities.

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit
November 10, 2018
New England College, Henniker, New Hampshire

Frank J. Gaffney
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit

Frank Gaffney is the Founder and President of the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C., a not-for-profit, non-partisan educational corporation established in 1988. Under Mr. Gaffney’s leadership, the Center has been nationally and internationally recognized as a resource for timely, informed and penetrating analyses of foreign and defense policy matters.

In April 1987, Mr. Gaffney was nominated by President Reagan to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, the senior position in the Defense Department with responsibility for policies involving U.S.-USSR relations, nuclear forces, arms control, missile defense policy and U.S.-European defense ties. He acted in that capacity for seven months during which time, he was the Chairman of the prestigious High Level Group, NATO’s senior politico-military committee. He also represented the Secretary of Defense in key U.S.-Soviet negotiations and ministerial meetings.

From August 1983 until November 1987, Mr. Gaffney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy under Assistant Secretary Richard Perle.

From February 1981 to August 1983, Mr. Gaffney was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by the late Senator John Tower (R-Texas). And, in the latter 1970’s, Mr. Gaffney served as an aide to the late Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D-Washington) in the areas of defense and foreign policy.

Mr. Gaffney holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Tommy Waller
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit

Tommy Waller is Director for Special Projects at the Center for Security Policy.

As Director for Special Projects, Tommy performs a wide range of duties for the Center for Security Policy. These duties include educating policymakers at the state and federal level in all branches of government and working daily with renowned national security experts to help provide those policymakers an unconstrained analysis of the current threat environment along with workable policy solutions to address these threats.

One of the most urgent areas of concern for the Center is the vulnerability of the U.S. Electric Grid. Because the effects of a pro-longed power outage could be catastrophic to our nation, The Center sponsors the Secure the Grid Coalition – a group of the country’s top-level experts on threats to the grid and how these threats must be mitigated. The Secure the Grid Coalition is co-chaired by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and President Clinton’s Director of Central Intelligence, R. James Woolsey. Frank Gaffney, the founder and president of the Center for Security Policy, has directed Tommy Waller to manage the day to day operations of the Secure the Grid Coalition.

Thomas PopikNew England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

 

 

Thomas S. Popik is the Chairman, President, and co-founder of the Foundation for Resilient Societies, a New Hampshire think tank that advocates for protection of critical infrastructures from infrequently occurring natural and man-made disasters.

Mr. Popik holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. In his early career, Mr. Popik served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, with a final rank of Captain. Mr. Popik is a co-founder of the Academy for Science and Design, New Hampshire’s charter high school for science and math education.

Dr. William R. Forstchen

William R. Forstchen has a Ph.D. from Purdue University with specializations in Military History and the History of Technology. He is a Faculty Fellow and Professor of History at Montreat College. He is the author of fifty books including the New York Times bestselling series One Second After, the Lost Regiment series, and the award-winning young adult novel, We Look Like Men of War. He has also authored numerous short stories and articles about military history and military technology.

Dr. Forstchen’s interests include the Civil War, archaeological research on sites in Mongolia, and the potential of space exploration. As a pilot he owns and flies an original World War II “recon bird.” Dr. Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina with his dog Maggie.

Daniel Gregory
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Daniel Gregory is the head of Microgrid Solutions, Shell New Energies.

A 30+ year energy industry executive, entrepreneur, and technologist focused on delivering secure energy solutions globally, Dan founded Pos-En, which recently was acquired by Shell New Energies. He is a member of IEEE, CIGRE, National and Homeland Security EMP Task Force, and Vice Chair of the National Science Foundation FREEDM Systems Center. He holds two US patents and has published multiple industry papers and articles.

April Salas
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
April M. Salas is the Executive Director, Revers Center for Energy, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Mrs. Salas has over 15 years of public and private sector experience in global and domestic energy project- and international-development. Starting her career in energy finance, she worked as a consultant in mid-/downstream oil and gas projects in Africa, as well as, an energy markets analyst covering Europe and Latin America.  Mrs. Salas has held various senior positions within the US Department of Energy in power delivery, energy reliability and systems analysis, and just prior to joining Tuck, Mrs. Salas directed the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review Task Force Secretariat, in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy, and the White House’s Domestic Policy Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy. Domestically, Mrs. Salas served as Director of the State Energy Assurance Program, as well as, Chief of Planning and Analysis for all federal energy emergency response with FEMA. Globally, Mrs. Salas established and led a global energy security advisory program, energy security and systems analysis for DOE’s country-to-country engagements, as well as, US government support to international energy emergency response. Mrs. Salas represented US government energy security interests at NATO, led engagements in Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, and within the EU.

Mrs. Salas earned her MBA from Cornell University; two Masters degrees, in International Security and Economics, with a focus on energy poverty and development, and her BA from the College of William and Mary. Mrs. Salas speaks French, Spanish and Arabic, and has worked in and/or visited over 64 countries.

Michael Mabee
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Michael Mabee has worked as an urban emergency medical technician and paramedic, a suburban police officer, and in the federal civil service. Michael received his B.A. in English from Southern Connecticut State University in 1994 and is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Michael has a great deal of experience – both overseas and in the U.S. – working in worlds where things went wrong.  He is a veteran of both Persian Gulf wars, serving with the U.S. Army as a Platoon Sergeant in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Provide Comfort. In his most recent deployment, Michael served as a brigade level Command Sergeant Major in Iraq. He also participated in two humanitarian missions to Guatemala. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2006 at the rank of Command Sergeant Major (CSM). Michael was decorated by both the U.S. Army and the federal government for his actions on 9/11/2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City. (In sum, quite like Forrest Gump, he is generally at the right place at the wrong time.)

Michael has studied and written extensively on the vulnerabilities of the U.S. electric grid to a variety of threats. He has participated in federal rulemaking related to grid security and has written two books about how communities can prepare for and survive a long-term power outage.  He continues to write and speak about emergency preparedness for a long-term blackout.

David Fortino
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
David Fortino has more than 15 years of experience in emergency management, specializing in emergency response operations, preparedness, recovery, crisis management and business continuity.

Currently, Mr. Fortino is the Regional Continuity Manager for FEMA Region II. In this position, Mr. Fortino provides expert continuity and crisis management guidance and advice to all Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments on appropriate training programs to include coordination, oversight, management, and leadership for plans and programs, and test, training, and exercises (TT&E), including lead trainer for continuity related train-the-trainer courses, multi-year strategies, and overall program implementation.

Previously, Mr. Fortino spent 9 years at the Madison Ambulance Association and North Branford Fire Department.  At Madison Ambulance Association, Mr. Fortino was the Chief of Service. Furthermore, he is a certified as an EMT, Firefighter II, Fire Instructor, and Hazmat Operations. Mr. Fortino has his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in Urban and Regional Studies.

Dr. Amir Toosi
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Dr. Amir Toosi is currently the Dean of Business Division that oversees the business, homeland and international security, cybersecurity management program at Rivier University. Dr. Toosi’s work experience has included the corporate and higher education fields, where he has served leadership roles and taught in the traditional classroom, hybrid model, and fully online format.

In the corporate industry, Dr. Toosi has served as an international and domestic telecommunication consultant in logistics, assembly, and project management; independent consultant in strategic management, operation management, statistical research, and entrepreneurship; and property management at a real estate investment firm. He has been in more than thirty-five states within the United States and has traveled to more than twenty countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Dr. Toosi is a member of Academy of Management, The Association of Continuing Higher Education, and served as the Chair and Past Chair for the Scholarly-Practitioner Publication Committee for Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. He currently serves as the Chairperson on the Board of Directors for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors for United Way of Greater Nashua, Symphony NH. Furthermore, he is currently serving as an Ambassador for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. Finally, in addition to chairing the Rivier University’s Business Advisory Council and Security Studies Advisory Council, Dr. Toosi serves on the Nursing Advisory Council and Public Health Advisory Council.

Justin KatesNew England Long-Term Power Outage Summit Justin Kates joined the City of Nashua Mayor’s Cabinet in August 2011 after coming from his role as a Homeland Security Consultant for the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.  In his role, Justin coordinates city-wide emergency response efforts by working with Federal, State, and other areas of municipal government in obtaining the necessary resources to recover after a disaster.  He developed the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan for the City and chairs the Local Emergency Planning Committee.  During his time in Nashua, Justin was responsible for coordinating the response and recovery of FEMA declared disasters Tropical Storm Irene, the “Snowtober” Nor’easter, Superstorm Sandy, Winter Storm Nemo, and Winter Storm Juno.

He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) affiliated with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and was awarded “NH Emergency Management Director of the year” in 2015.  Justin is a graduate of the University of Delaware where he majored in Emergency Management and Public Administration.  In his spare time he has taught Crisis Management as an Adjunct Professor at Daniel Webster College, Public Health Emergency Preparedness as an Adjunct Instructor at Rivier University, and numerous FEMA state-delivered courses for the New Hampshire Fire Academy.  He is currently the Vice President of the IAEM Region 1 Board of Directors and the Chair of the NH Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NH VOAD).

Dale Rowley
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Dale Rowley has served as the Director of the Waldo County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in Belfast, Maine for the past 13 years. Before becoming the Director, he served as a volunteer with the County EMA office and as a municipal Emergency Manager for 9 years.

Dale served in the U.S. Air Force and Maine Air National Guard as a Civil Engineering Officer and Emergency Manager, retiring in 2011 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, after 22 years.

He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maine and has a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He is also a 14-year Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), an 18-year member of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and has a Master’s Degree in Emergency & Disaster Management.

Professor Todd Therrien
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Professor Todd Therrien spent over 20 years as a certified Police Officer with the Nashua Police Department, where he spent time with various units, including Physical Training Instructor and K-9 Training assistant and was assigned to various detective divisions for close to 10 years.

He then switched careers to become an educator, teaching U.S. history, economics, civics, law, world history and psychology at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua and teaching at Nashua Community College in the Criminal Justice curriculum. Prof. Therrien teaches Homeland & International Security courses for the Division of Business, Rivier University.

Prof. Therrien earned his A.A. in Criminal Justice from Middlesex Community College, his B.A. in American Studies from Franklin Pierce University, and his M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Franklin Pierce University. He is currently enrolled in Rivier’s Principal Certification Program.

Arlene Magoon
New England Long Term Power Outage Summit
Arlene Magoon was hired by the American Red Cross in New Hampshire as a Health & Safety Operations Manager in 2001. Her first day began on September 11. In the fast moving days after that tragic day, Ms. Magoon quickly learned that without preplanning for donations and volunteers before a crisis another emergency known as the “disaster within a disaster” can occur. Having successfully coordinated donations and volunteers in that event, Ms. Magoon was later hired by NH State emergency management as the coordinator for volunteers in all hazards emergency events. Two months after beginning the work to re-establish NH Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a major flood occurred in western NH communities.

Ms. Magoon began working for FEMA in 2008 where she has been deployed to many disaster locations here in NE and around the country. In each deployment a service delivery plan for long term recovery was developed to identify the unique needs of the communities she served. She has developed many contacts within the States and National VOAD organizations whom she considers partners and friends.

Recognizing that may communities would be best served if they were prepared for disasters, in 2016 Ms. Magoon joined the National Preparedness Division to share preparedness messages and activities in vulnerable communities across New England. Although she still holds the Voluntary Agency Liaison emergency role and is still deployed under that role, she remains aware of the need to create resilient communities through preparedness.

Ms. Magoon holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University with a minor in Operations Management. She has received many awards including 1999 SBA, Woman Advocate of the Year, and National VOAD 2004 Innovations in Disaster Recovery and two time winner of the regional 2015 & 2016 Toast Master International Humorous Speech contest.

Contacts:

Karen Testerman
(603) 721-9933
karen@karentesterman.net

Michael Mabee
(516) 808-0883
Mike@CivilDefenseBook.com

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

New England Long-Term Power Outage Summit

Running a house from a generator

This is my set up to run my house from a generator in a power outage. The entire set-up – generator and electrician – probably cost about $1200. (about $600 for the generator and maybe another $600 for the wiring). This was SO worth it when the power went out for over a week!

It is very important that you do the hook-up correctly. I recommend you have a licensed electrician set up your breaker box and provide the hook-up. It is not expensive and is worth every penny in a power outage!

I hope people find this video  interesting and get ideas.

generator