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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2016)
10A • September 9, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Get ‘CERTiied’ this fall Gain emergency preparedness skills and more By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette Michael Diak’s Communi- ty Emergency Response Team training came in handy when a car in front of him abruptly stopped one day and an accident occurred. Though no one was hurt, he responded swiftly by grabbing his luorescent vest, dialing 911 and directing trafic. “When medical and police showed up, trafic was mov- ing,” he said. “My training kicked in.” From directing Sandcastle Day beach parking (no small feat) to assisting in a search and rescue for a missing person, Cannon Beach CERT members, a ready and organized team of disaster volunteer workers, have used their training in numerous ways this year. Volunteers also help with large storms and train for a possible earthquake and tsunami, since emergency ser- vices personnel will need back- up after “the big one.” CERT trainings kick off this fall with four classes. Participants will be trained on preparedness, area hazards, ire safety, teamwork, basic di- saster medical skills and search and rescue activities. At the end of training, CERT participants perform the skills they have learned in a drill, that involves helping “victims” made up to look like they have injuries. Instructors will include Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn, Clatsop County emergency manager Tiffany Brown, and facili- tators from Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District and Paciic Power. After taking the four class sessions required to be cer- tiied, CERT members can choose to take ongoing classes. There is no fee for CERT train- ing, and no prior experience or training is necessary. Each participant receives a backpack with emergency preparedness tools, including a vest, helmet and basic medical supplies. “One of our goals is to get as many members as possible,” CERT coordinator Paula Vetter said. “In an emergency situa- tion, the more people who are trained with CERT training, the better off the entire community will be.” She hopes one person from each business will undergo the training. Currently comprised of 34 members, CERT coordinates with nearby teams and the Can- non Beach Medical Reserve Corps, which has volunteers with medical and public health backgrounds. The city’s goal is to have 100 CERT members and 25 reserve corps members by the end of 2018. “A lot of people recognize CERT now and understand what CERT is,” Vetter said. “It’s a way for more people in the community to have at least some background and experi- ence.” CERT members can be as involved as they are able to be, and Vetter eventually hopes to assign particularly dedicated individuals as team captains. Volunteers feel safe, prepared “CERT prepares people for any emergency, whether you’re hiking, playing a sport or doing any activity,” CERT member Silvia Avila said. “It’s fun and can be applied to a lot of different situations.” Diak said being educated on proper procedures through “beneicial and thorough” training makes him feel safer and able to keep his family safe. A Federal Emergency Management Associated op- eration with teams nation- wide, CERT is supervised by the Cannon Beach Police De- partment. “The Cannon Beach Po- lice Department being right there during all classes is a privilege,” Diak said. “A huge thanks to Paula for being such an amazing director.” Growing up in Cannon Beach and being aware of the Cascadia subduction zone motivated Avila to join CERT. She became certiied when she was a Seaside High School student. “We would rotate every other week between class les- sons and hands-on activities,” she said. “The inal simula- tion at the end was very real- istic.” Avila’s training led her to start an oficial CERT club at Seaside High, and as a Cannon Beach volunteer ireighter, she applied her CERT training to ire rescue training. Diak had “a blast” walk- ing the Fourth of July pa- rade with other CERT mem- bers, leading a catchy chant and earning the designation “Captain Parade” for his en- thusiasm. “It’s been amazing to be GEORGE VETTER/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Cannon Beach CERT students perform a basic training drill before graduating in April. CERT Training Schedule Sept. 17 . . . . . . 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 24 . . . . . . 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 29 . . . . . . 5:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Oct. 1 . . . . . . . 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. part of the team, get to learn who is who, and be a part of things you never thought you’d be a part of,” he said. EVERYDAY PEOPLE Marketer goes from looking backward to making things happen T hough he moved to Can- non Beach just last sum- mer, Kevan Ridgway is already a key part of the local business community. For more than 20 years, Ridgway was president and CEO of a regional destination marketing organization for Vancouver, British Columbia. His job included helping or- ganizations, such as different marketing groups in British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, work together to achieve goals — like a hotel tax to fund tour- ism initiatives. Now, as the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce mar- keting committee chairman, Ridgway hopes to bring some of that cooperation to festivals and events. “When you look at those do- ing promotional work, they’re all using Cannon Beach in dif- ferent ways,” Ridgway said. “We need a solid brand that we can all get behind.” The committee is also ex- panding its marketing to social media — in- cluding posts by visitors themselves. The cham- ber’s market- ing committee uses a plan Kevan that focuses on visitors, not businesses, Ridgway said The “visitor economy” is an important part of Cannon Beach, he said, but the market- ing plan takes residents into ac- count as well. “One of the other key princi- ples is we won’t do anything for tourism that isn’t good for our residents,” he said. Ridgway is also a chamber board member and treasurer for the Cannon Beach Arts Associ- ation. He owns a small business, Minds Aligned, which provides consulting and marketing ser- vices to tourism industry clients. Ridgway was born near Coventry, England. “I still support Coventry City football,” he said of the soccer Pelican Brewing Company is NOW HIRING YEAR ROUND POSTIONS Hosts, Bussers, Servers Line Cooks & Dishwashers Tip Share, Medical Benefi ts, 401K Savings Plan APPLY IN PERSON ANYTIME AT: 1371 SW Hemlock, Cannon Beach OR SEND YOUR RESUME TO: Employment@Pelicanbrewing.com team. “I can watch three foot- ball matches on a Saturday.” He misses pub culture, which did not revolve around drinking when he was growing up. “It was where all the families congregated,” he said. “When you went to the pub with your mum and dad, the kids had a play area. It became a real fam- ily outing.” Because his father was quar- termaster in the army, Ridgway spent some of his childhood summers in West Africa. He spent a year in Ghana and went to an American school for a year. “It was kind of strange surf- ing on a beach on Christmas Day,” he remembers. During most school years, Ridgway went to boarding school in England, which he credits with sharpening his communication skills. “You have to learn to get along with people,” he said. Before his career in hospital- ity and destination marketing, Ridgway was an accountant. He moved from England to Alber- ta, Canada, while working for John Deere. “It was quite a culture shock,” he said. After working as a gener- Time and money. We give you both. www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/employment You’ll notice the difference. Find out more at columbiabank.com or call 877-272-3678. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender al accounting supervisor for a group of hotels, he became tired of “looking backwards all the time.” “I wanted to make things happen,” he said. He became owner and gen- eral manager of Hospitality Services of Canada. Finding solutions for hotels that could not afford marketing sparked his interest in the ield. Eleven years ago, Ridgway and his wife, Georgia, got mar- ried at Hug Point in Cannon Beach. They would return to celebrate their wedding anni- versary, and their love of the area led them to eventually move to Cannon Beach full time. Ridgway started attending Wednesday morning business meetings and got involved with the chamber through knowing local residents. It’s no surprise that Ridgway, after an extensive career in pro- moting destinations, is an avid traveler. He recently went to Ireland with his wife. Their most memorable trip was Ken- ya, where they went on a safari tour. Ridgway and his wife live near Tolovana with their cat, Nera, and dog, Aren, who en- joys running around the beach every morning. — Lyra Fontaine We listen to you and your business needs—then tailor a loan that fits. Our loans are custom-made, not mass-produced. Every business is different, so rest assured your Columbia Bank loan will be designed specifically to your needs, your business, and for you.
