Susan Lazenby’s display of emergency supplies brought the curious as well as those who asked if the items were available for purchase. “I’ve talked to a lot of people from out of town” and offered them the santapaulacert.com website for a list of supplies that should always be on hand.Realistic tea lights, fire starter, a Luggable Loo and seemingly hundreds of other items were spread over two tables; nearby two large plastic totes stood at the ready to be packed with all the emergency preparedness must-haves. “People are amazed,” noted Lazenby, “when I tell them all this fits in those two containers.”Lazenby said that in case of an emergency or disaster she is prepared not only to respond to family needs, but also to the needs of others. “Everybody is welcome, they all can stay with me; and Steve (husband Captain Lazenby) knows how to cook for a lot of people!”“Ahh, an instant convertible,” an onlooker commented as the SPFD carefully went to work using the Jaws of Life and other extrication equipment on a junked vehicle. Firefighters - who worked on cars donated by McCoy’s Automotive & Towing and Santa Paula Chevrolet - “literally peel the body of the automobile away from the trapped victim,” Captain Jerry Byrum told the huge crowd of fascinated onlookers.Participants in the Ready Santa Paula 2008 event also included the Santa Paula Elementary School District, Santa Paula Hospital, Ventura County Public Health, Quake Kare, American Medical Response, American Red Cross, Ventura County Sheriff’s Upper Ojai Search & Rescue Unit, and Auxiliary Communications Service, among others.“It went very well, was very exciting,” Lazenby said following Ready Santa Paula! “We were all pleased with the results, had huge crowds for the extrication; and I handed out more than 300 brochures on general preparedness, the tools to be ready. It was a huge team effort, so many people involved,” including Cruise Nite organizers who “were very generous in letting us set up this life-saving event... we are very grateful to Cruise Nite.”Santa Paula’s Citizens Corps Council is the only such active organization in Ventura County.
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The Santa Paula Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trailer was on display Friday evening during the September Cruise Night. Other emergency displays were also available for review by those that attended, including demonstrations by the Santa Paula Fire Department. (Photo by Don Johnson) |
Ready Santa Paula! Emergency Preparedness Fair draws the safety-minded
September 10, 2008
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times“Disaster! Lessons in Readiness from the St. Francis Dam Collapse!” was the theme of the Ready Santa Paula! Emergency Preparedness Fair, held Friday evening in conjunction with Cruise Nite. The fair, overseen by the Santa Paula Citizens Corps Council, featured displays and handouts from numerous organizations dedicated to educating the public about being prepared in case of disaster or emergency.“It seems like people are starting to come by, there’s been a steady flow of people” interested in being prepared, noted Mike Gray, president of Santa Paula CERT (Citizens Emergency Response Team).“It took time to get going, but we’ve had a good crowd,” said Police Chief Steve MacKinnon. “People are interacting and having a good time... and anytime we can interact with the community” when officers are not enforcing the law or dealing with serious crime “is priceless.”Several children excitedly asked MacKinnon how to become a police officer, and received simple career advice. “You have to go to school,” he noted, and study hard.Kids were gathered around Sergeant Jimmy Fogata and urged to pet his K-9 partner Evan, who was enjoying the attention. For the adults, Fogata was distributing Canine CPR brochures. McGruff the Crime Fighting Dog was also popular with the kids, who received a McGruff badge from the silent anti-crime canine.Santa Paula Building & Safety had a display centered on water, including both water heater safety and a display of photographs from the 1928 collapse of the St. Francis Dam, which killed more than 600 people throughout the Santa Clara River Valley.Santa Paula Fire Captain and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Steve Lazenby was kept busy handing out safety materials and noted, “It’s going real well, nobody has turned me down.”“You got a smoke detector in your home?” Andy Van Sciver of the Citizens Corps Council asked passersby as he handed out free units and explained ideal placement.“We’ve had a lot of people come down,” noted SPFD Chaplain Kay Wilson-Bolton, who was with SPFD personnel who were readying their second vehicle extrication demonstration near the corner of 7th and Main streets.
