CERT Training Graduation on 10-27-09

Hello all again – Next Tuesday 10/27 is the next graduation of the newest CERT team members. It will be 6:30 pm at the Town Hall at the beginning of the Town Council meeting. For past members please join us that night to show your support and some refreshments afterwards at station #1.

Also, this is IMPORTANT for anyone who has not yet gotten their CERT Id badge. From 5:30 to 6 that same night 10/27, Jay Seuss is making himself available to take your individual pictures and will try and make the badges immediately afterwards so you can have them that night before we leave Town Hall.

10-21-09 Meeting Minutes

Morrisville CERT general meeting minutes
October 21st, 2009

6:36 pm
Gary Martin, President of Morrisville CERT called the meeting to order. He announced that we are now incorporated in NC. The next step is to apply for the 501C3 to allow us to be considered a non-profitable organization. To apply for this it requires funds $350 to $400 depending on when we file because the rates are going up next year according to the website Gary checked out. So, we are asking for help. We are unable to accept donations from businesses or apply for any grants until we have the 501C3 approved. At this time we only have about $200 in the bank so we wanted to ask if the CERT team members could donate any funds to the cause. Filling this year would be the goal because of the rate increase but also the quicker are approved the quicker we can apply for grants and ask for business donations.

6:45 pm
Sharon Vrooman, Secretary, asked who would be interested in taking the “Train the Trainer” CERT classes. Patty Moore, NC CERT Program Manager, asked how many people we had interested and was also going to find out about Cary’s CERT Team and Wake County’s team. If she had enough head count she would be willing to hold a class. She asked if the Morrisville CERT would be willing to host this class the 1st weekend in December if she had the numbers she needed. Sharon will provide the head count to Patty (for those not at the meeting tonight please let me know of your interest). Sharon will also get with Chief Wright to find out if this is something that MFD personnel would be able to help us with and if that weekend would be feasible. Also, find out if we would be able to use the facilities at MFD Station 3/Cary 7 for the training.

6:50
Chaplain Edwards was the speaker tonight to discuss Living Wills and Power of Attorney forms. He has a lot of experience/background with situations surrounding death. He also taught a medical ethics class for 10 years in Virginia. He talked about how much the field of medicine has changed and how far technology has come in developing equipment made to keep a body functioning while it’s healing.

The problem this creates is that the medical community has not developed a “standard” to follow as to when it is / isn’t appropriate to use this technology. It is a persons right to choose whether they want life saving measures taken or to die naturally. NC has passed a “ Right to Natural Death Act”. Copy & paste the link below to read what the Act says.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_90/Article_23.html

As individuals you would need to have a signed, witnessed, dated and proved document in place in order for your wishes to be followed. This is where a Living Will would come into play along with a Power of Attorney form. (See attachments to email)

Forms are self-explanatory. You can state that you just want to receive just basic comfort during the dying process. You can even refuse food, water, and radiation for example. This must all be put in writing though. Important to have a DNR (do not resuscitate) form on file with your medical provider so that extreme measures will not be taken to keep you alive.

Good idea to keep copies of all these forms in the glove compartment and with your health care provider.

7:45pm
Discussed when to schedule the next CERT class….idea was brought up to do a Wednesday evening as an intro then start in on the class work that following Saturday & Sunday. Then do the next Wednesday evening and finish up the class work on Saturday with the final exercise that Sunday. Will get with Ron Kluss to find out if this sounds feasible and what times would be avail in Feb/March.

Sharon will email Juan about updating the website so that there is a link from the CERT website right to the town site in order to register on-line. Also, need to keep the meeting times up to date….I guess there was an error as to location for tonights meeting.

Olivia Jacob has volunteered to be our training schedule coordinator for our general meetings.

7:55pm Dismissed