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CERT COMMUNITY MEETING ON TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER 17th TO EXPLORE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ON A MAJOR COLLEGE CAMPUS: LOYOLA MARYMOUNT


The L.A. City Fire Department's westside Community Emergency Response Team volunteers invite fellow CERT members and interested members of the public to learn how a major university campus prepares for and responds to a disaster, in a presentation on the evening of Tuesday, September 17, 2013.


Devra Schwartz, CEM, the Director of Emergency Management and Strategic Initiatives in the Department of Public Safety at Loyola Marymount University, in Westchester, will present a talk entitled “A University Perspective on FEMA’s Concept of Whole Community”.  

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Ms. Schwartz is responsible for developing, coordinating, and managing all emergency plans, preparedness campaigns, policies and procedures, the Emergency Operations Center and emergency response/recovery, drills and exercises, and external partnerships with related external agencies. Her prior career highlights included serving as an Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Los Angeles’ Emergency Management Department, and work with K-12 schools nationwide on internet security/safety issues. She holds a BA in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley, and an MS in Strategic Planning for Critical Infrastructure from the University of Washington. 


Ms. Schwartz is a Certified Emergency Manager.

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The meeting will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the training room of Fire Station 5, 8900 S. Emerson @ Westchester Parkway, in Westchester. Admission is free. The public is welcome, but due to limited seating, an RSVP is requested to lafdbatt4cert@gmail.com . Meeting guests should park on Emerson. The training room is at the back of the property. Visitors are asked not to disturb the Fire Station.


The meeting is sponsored by the Community Emergency Response Teams from West Los Angeles, representing CERT volunteers in LAFD Battalions 4,9, and 18. CERT is one of several volunteer organizations that assist LAFD. CERT members are trained in emergency first-aid and other disaster response skills including fighting small fires, light search and rescue, and triage. CERT classes are free and open to all. They are offered year-round at locations throughout the city. A calendar of CERT activities is available on the web at www.cert-la.com .

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