I am in NERT

[madrobins]

Tonight was my first NERT class: Neighborhood Emergency Response Training. In the wake of Katrina, California (or at least San Francisco) is trying to get a really large citizen corps of first responders for (as they said over and over) the Big Quake That Will Come. It's a six week course, taught by two energetic guys--one, a fireman, the other a former city photographer, former cop, former fireman, former coordinator of NERT, and current arson investigator (!) whose name and number I got, just in case I ever need to ask questions about arson, firefighting, etc. It was a big turnout--maybe fifty people, most (but not all) from my neighborhood. When it's all done I will (theoretically) know much more about how to be of help during an emergency situation; I will also get an NERT ID, a yellow hard hat, and a little orange vest. By these signs everyone shall know that I am Official.

My favorite part was the page in my manual called "Terrorism and You!" Bet that's a howler.