National Preparedness Month Events

September is National Preparedness Month, and we once again have a full slate of events/opportunities for you to participate in. Please see the listings below, and keep an eye on our project calendar (www.volunteercentralohio.org), as additional events will be added in the coming days and months.

9/11 Flag Set-Up
Monday, September 9th, 5:30-7:30 PM, at the Ohio Statehouse
Help set-up 2,999 small flags (each one represents a life lost on 9-11-01) on the West side of the Ohio Statehouse. These flags will be in the shape of the two World Trade Center Towers, with a cutout in the middle representing the Pentagon. They will be on display from September 6th-12th. For more information or to sign up, click HERE.

9/11 Flag Straightening
Daily on September 10th -12th, 9-9:30 AM, at the Ohio Statehouse
Volunteers are needed to stop by every morning to help straighten the flag display at the Ohio Statehouse. For more information or to sign up, visit the following links.
SEPTEMBER 10
SEPTEMBER 11
SEPTEMBER 12

9/11 Flag Removal
Friday, September 13th, 8-10:00 AM, at the Ohio Statehouse
Help remove the 2,999 flags and put them in storage. For more information or to sign up, click HERE.

Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) Training
Wednesday, September 11th, from 5:30 PM-9PM at COSI (333 W. Broad Street)
Volunteer Reception Centers (VRCs) establish a central processing point for placing spontaneous volunteers during a disaster. During disasters, people want to help, and volunteers will show up self deployed (and may interfere with official response efforts if not properly processed). VRCs are operated by trained volunteers that greet, interview, and maintain records of spontaneous volunteers and provide volunteer assignments. This training involves a one-hour lecture, and two hours to actually set up a VRC (including a mock disaster!). The training will feature a simulation of an infectious disease outbreak to get real experience and practice of how a VRC would run, and is brought to you in partnership with the Franklin County and Columbus Medical Reserve Corps. To register, click HERE.

Incident Command System 100 Class
Wednesday, September 4th, 6-7:30 PM, at Columbus Public Health Room 119C (240 Parsons Avenue)

ICS 100 is an introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). All volunteers are encouraged to take this if they have not already to gain a better understanding of where they fit in during a response. To register, click HERE.

Ready In Three Training
Saturday, September 14th, 10:30 AM -12:00 PM, at Columbus Public Health Room 119C (240 Parsons Avenue)
During National Preparedness Month it is important to remember that without proper emergency planning for yourself and your family it will be difficult to volunteer in the event of an emergency. As an emergency response volunteer you have the responsibility to make sure you have plans in place! This training, hosted by the Franklin County and Columbus MRC and developed by Columbus Public Health goes over the three main components of making sure you are prepared in the event of a disaster. The three components include; Make a Plan, Make a Kit, Stay Informed. Presenting this important information will be Ryan Younge from the Office of Emergency Preparedness at Columbus Public Health. Seating is limited so sign up now! To register, click HERE.