It was a pleasure to have been invited and attend the 2013 National Capitol Region CERT Con, hosted by the Fairfax County, VA, Office of Emergency Management (OEM). While my participation was limited to Saturday's events held at the Northern VA Community College, Annandale Campus, which was both well attended and clearly a success, conversations with others that attended the practical full-scale disaster field training training indicated that it was a successful exercise as well.
The guest speakers included regional, state, and FEMA level officials as well as private volunteers offering experience and expert advice in community preparedness. The guest speakers included Dante Randazzo (FEMA, Individual and Community Preparedness Division), Megan van Harte (NYC Office of Emergency Management), as well as many local officials from the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.
In addition to the workshops and guest speakers, a limited number of information booths were made available to emergency management volunteers and officials attending the conference to learn more about supporting businesses, new products, and ideas that would make the job of saving lives easier.
One NEW product displayed by Global Safety First, LLC, ( http://readimask.com/index.php ) was the Readi Mask fully sealable particle face-mask that comes with and without an integrated eye shield and also comes in adult and child sizes. The Readi Mask is an essential item that offers protection from a large variety of potential disasters that emergency management volunteers would face in today's world.
Global Safety First conducted a live demonstration of the Readi Mask with the assistance of a local emergency worker who volunteered to test the mask by having an entire can of Saber Red police-strength pepper-spray emptied on his mask-shielded face. The results can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdZRyAFBY4&feature=youtu.be
Needless to say that it was an impressive demonstration.
Other supporting businesses included Cassel's Sports and Awards ( www.casselsonline.com ), and Tony Shideler with novaready.com displaying THRIVE freeze-dried preparedness foods.
And of course I was there offering my books for sale and reminding people to remember to breathe!
Seriously though, my new book, Emergency Air for Shelter-in-Place Preppers and Home-Built Bunkers was well received by all. Thank you!
I am looking forward to next year's CERT Conference and EXPO to be hosted by the Prince George's County Maryland Office of Emergency Management.
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