News and Alerts

We want to thank everyone who visited our booth at this year’s Linthicum Fair. It was an absolutely beautiful day and the turnout was fantastic. We look forward to the next community-based event where we can say hello and introduce you to CERT and our organization, Anne Arundel Annapolis CERT.

Check out our website for more details and links to our social media pages. www.aaacert.org

We would like to thank everyone that visited our tent during the 2021 National Night Out event held at the Earleigh Heights VFC. The sun stayed away and the wind kept things at a very nice temperature after days of 90 plus degrees.

We provided disaster preparedness material to visitors including flash cards with checklists of items to have on hand during a disaster such as a violent storms like tornados, hurricanes, or major wind. 

If you visited our tent and signed our training email list, you also entered into our

giveaway for a one of two preparedness kits. Congrats to the winners.

Please join AAACERT in thanking these dedicated men and women.

A message from Captain Erik Konmeyer
Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Fire Communications

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department is celebrating the second full week of April (April 11-17, 2021) as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This week, sponsored by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and celebrated annually, honors the thousands of men and women who respond to emergency calls, dispatch emergency professionals and equipment, and render life-saving assistance to the world’s citizens.

Twenty-eight Fire Communications Operators (FCO) and eight lieutenants staff Fire Alarm on a 24/72 shift schedule. Eleven newly hired FCOs and four lieutenants were trained in 2020 to make this staffing model a reality for years to come. This 24/72 schedule, started in January, 2020, has improved morale, and improved efficiency by creating continuity between field and personnel members. FCOs receive more than 1,000 hours of initial training, including certification in Emergency Medical Dispatch, and Emergency Fire Dispatch.

These calm voices on the 911 telephones and on the radio waves quite often go unnoticed, but the Anne Arundel County Fire Department consider the members of Fire Alarm to be the “Golden Glue that holds it all together” for our Department. If anyone from your organization is interested in recognizing the members of our Communications Center in any way during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, please contact Captain Erik Kornmeyer at ErikKornmeyer@aacounty.org. Letters of thanks can be mailed to the following address:

Anne Arundel County Fire Department
Fire Communications
8501 Veterans Highway
Millersville, MD 21108

AAACERT is happy to share the following Spring 2021 Disaster Dispatch from the Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management quarterly Newsletter.

In this issue you will find information about Flood Awareness including tools to see your community’s risk, a message from Director Preeti Emrick, Financial Emergency Preparedness tools, and a number of important contacts at the Office of Emergency Management.

Please click the link below to see the PDF of the Newsletter.

https://docs.aaacert.org/s/xpNJoeBAafHcoqA

From babies to grandparents, your poison center is there to help your whole family. More than 90% of poisonings happen in the home.

By calling 1-800-222-1222 first, you may save yourself time and money. #NPPW21

 

 

In a poisoning emergency, seconds count.

Call 1-800-222-1222 to connect with nurses, pharmacists, and doctors who can give you accurate, life-saving treatment advice. Add the poison center hotline to your contacts today, so you can be prepared. #NPPW21

 

 

Are your household cleaners locked up, or stored up and away from a child’s reach?

Cleaners can be poisonous so this #NPPW21 take steps to prevent this common poisoning risk.

 

That also includes hand sanitizer and other disinfectants being used to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

 

We get it – life happens. Poison centers are ready 24/7 with fast and free advice. When you have a question, their healthcare professionals have answers.

Everyday poison centers answer questions and help in emergencies because life happens.

Dial 1-800-222-1222 for anything from your child swallowed a button battery, a snake bite to food poisoning.

#NPPW21

Join OEM Director Emrick, Fire Chief Wolford, & Police Chief Awad TOMORROW NIGHT, March 23 at 6 pm on  www.facebook.com/aacoexec

Did you know: More than 90% of poisonings happen in the home.

Join AAA CERT March 21-27 for National Poison Prevention Week.

We’ll share safety tips from poison center professionals on support; poison control and prevention; and much more. #NPPW21

This year’s National Poison Prevention Week is March 21-27, 2021! More to come! #NPPW21

A message from Bruce Morgenstern, President, Anne Arundel-Annapolis CERT.

Our first congratulations goes to Randy Sanger. Randy has been appointed to a position with the Maryland State Fire Commission. Of course, an appointment like this comes with added responsibilities, and with mixed emotions, Randy has had to tender his resignation as AAACERT Vice President. Randy has assured us that he and Toni really enjoy being part of AAACERT and will continue to volunteer and support us whenever they can. Randy has been instrumental in guiding us along our path to improved radio communications using the County’s trunked radio system, facilitating connections with fire department communications personnel and using his expertise to help structure a best solution for AAACERT. THANKS, RANDY!

So…that leaves us with a vacancy.

In accordance with our by-laws…Any vacancies among the Officers of the corporation, regardless of the reason therefore, may be filled by the vote of a majority of the Directors for the unexpired portion of the term.

Randy’s term as Vice President was set to expire on December 31, 2022/

Your Board of Directors reviewed potential candidates, and at our most recent meeting on February 25th unanimously elected Brandon Gosnell to fill Randy’s remaining term. Brandon has been an active volunteer and a significant contributor to AAACERT’s growth in the last year. Brandon heads our IT/Communications/Public Affairs Committee, and is responsible for our significantly improved website, our enhanced social media presence (now including a LinkedIn page), enhanced e-mail capability, and the creation of a documentation management system so that we can easily share important AAACERT information. Quite an accomplishment! Job well done, Brandon. Congratulations and thanks for stepping up to help lead AAACERT.

– Bruce Morgenstern –