I am so truly honored to be selected as the March volunteer of the month! Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I have always had this awareness that earthquakes are a part of life here. So, when I began writing the Emergency Preparedness column for Connections, it didn’t really dawn on me that it was considered “volunteering” – it was just something I loved to do!
In 2015 I went through the Issaquah Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program where we learned skills to help take care of our family and community in the event of a disaster.
Ever since, I’ve enjoyed working with the Issaquah Highlands CERT Team, otherwise known as CERT Team 9. The members of the Issaquah Highlands CERT Team are your neighbors and friends. We meet quarterly and are dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest emergency preparedness information and training, and sharing it with you. We’re there to meet you at Highlands Day and the Farmers Market, at National Night Out and Salmon Days.
If you’ve had the opportunity to stop by our booth at Highlands Day or checked out the Emergency Preparedness column in Connections, it might seem like we talk a lot about the “what if’s” of life.
“What if” the BIG ONE happens tomorrow? “What if” we have a landslide? “What if” Seattle has a missile alert?
“What if, what if, WHAT IF?!”
We understand that in reality, every one of us is dealing with everyday emergencies. The “car’s making strange noises” or the “we have a water leak” emergencies. And in dealing with these everyday emergencies, sometimes we just don’t have time to think about the “what if” emergencies. We understand–it’s one of the reasons why we CERTs do what we do.
Thank you for taking the time to read the Emergency Preparedness column and for stopping by the CERT booth! I so enjoy meeting you, our Issaquah Highlands neighbors. Next time you see us out in the community or at the CERT booth, stop by and say “Hi.” I’d love to meet you!
Photo: Volunteer of the month, Amanda Keverkamp (second from the right) posing here with fellow CERT volunteers during the area-wide “Cascadia-Rising” disaster preparedness training in June 2016.
