This award is presented to an individual or partnership which has worked together to enhance the Red Cross's ability to serve its community.

"The City of San Rafael OES works with the Red Cross in the leadership of the Marin Interagency Disaster Coalition (MIDC), our County VOAD. Steven Hancock currently serves as Chair and Red Cross as Vice Chair in this interagency collaboration. Through its efforts in rejuvenating the MIDC, we now have a robust vehicle for collaborating and communicating with non-profits that may have a response and recovery role throughout Marin.

San Rafael OES is also a key partner with the Red Cross in Disaster Services. They have helped to secure space for our shelter supplies in the City and assisted in the promotion of our partner shelter trainings throughout the County. Overall, San Rafael OES proactively works toward improving preparedness and response efforts not only in San Rafael, but also more broadly throughout the county."

TENS: Telephone Emergency Notification System

There are many ways that we will be in touch with our residents in the event of an emergency or disaster. If you've been to a Get Ready training you've probably learned about the telephone emergency notification system (TENS). TENS is maintained by the Sheriff's office and can call up to 20,000 homes an hour with a recorded emergency message alerting you of a special situation and providing you specific information. TENS only works on landlines. Recently we got a lot of great questions at a training and have developed a TENS FAQ that we wanted to share with you.

CERT Graduates Recognized at Red Cross Heroes Breakfast

Sheryl Jennings from ABC News presented the award to Marinwood community members and Lion's Cameron Case and John Hammond.

The San Rafael/Las Gallinas Lions Club was honored for a Community Service Award on April 21 at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast. Many of the Las Gallinas Lions went through San Rafael's CERT class over the last year and were very interested in taking the information learned back to their community.

Using San Rafael's Community Emergency Preparedness Plan they've done an amazing job organizing North San Rafael/Marinwood following the steps outlined in the plan. If you live there you probably already know that and have met a Lion or two!

We applaud the Las Gallinas Lions Club for a job very well done. You too can take CERT and learn these valuable disaster preparedness and response skills. San Rafael's next CERT class starts on September 14.

Learn How to Set Up Your Own CERT Team

There will be a special training for anyone interested in learning how to set up a CERT team on Monday, June 28 at 6:00.

Learn the process of establishing a CERT team in your neighborhood through 10 easy steps
Talk to others who have set up teams in their neighborhoods
Discuss elements needed to have a successful CERT team
Learn about how to contact those in the area who have also taken CERT and are interested in working together to establish a team

You do not need to have taken CERT to attend this training. Visit www.sroes.org to sign-up.

E-Tip: Do I call 9-1-1 from my cell phone? YES.

If you are calling 9-1-1 on your cellular phone in any of Marin County's city or county areas, your call will go directly to the Marin County Communications Center or directly to the local police department. When calling for emergency service on your cellular phone always call

9-1-1 as your telephone number and approximate location will be available to the dispatcher. If for some reason you are disconnected, the dispatcher will have your telephone number and approximate location. Calling a seven digit telephone number on your cell phone will not provide the dispatcher with your location or telephone number if for some reason you get disconnected.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office recently added several cellular phone sector sites throughout Marin County to the 9-1-1 cellular phone data base. The only time your 9-1-1 cellular phone call will go directly to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is when you are on or near a highway where the CHP has policing responsibilities.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office dispatchers are there to help you for any non-emergency or emergency calls for service. Please call 9-1-1 for emergency service so they can provide quick police, fire, or medical help to you.

- Source Communications Manager, Marin County Sheriff's Office

Emergency Shelter Training Class

More than 20 residents from San Rafael, Corte Madera and Novato gathered on May 15 to learn more about how they can volunteer in an emergency shelter.

You have all seen the pictures of homes destroyed and our communities in disarray during disasters. Time and time again disasters are forcing people from their homes and into emergency shelters for safety and security. We are now providing you an opportunity to help your neighbors and community by getting trained in emergency shelter operations. The upcoming class is offered to all interested in serving their community in the time of a major crisis. This class is FREE.

Shelter Management, Saturday, June 12

Details on the emergency shelter classes and additional trainings for community disaster preparedness can be found at www.sroes.org on the training calendar.

San Rafael Blood Drive

Wednesday, June 2, 2010
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Donor Coach parked @
1400 Fifth Avenue

To schedule your life saving appointment, please visit www.bloodheroes.com
Click "donate blood" and enter sponsor code: SR
or call (415) 749-6696.

Donate Blood, Get Points, Get Stuff!
DVD's, CD's, Video Games, Movie Tickets, Ice Cream
Additionally, when you make & keep an appointment,
you earn 100 extra points!