CITY NEWS

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

The West Orange County Community Emergency Response Team or CERT Program is comprised of those who live and/or work in Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, Westminster and their attached communities. The CERT Academy is a 20 hour course and fills up quickly so reserve your seat early by pre – registering at www.westcountycert.com. The West County CERT Program’s primary purpose is to educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact them at home, at work, or at play. The CERT Basic Training covers basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members are better able to assist their family, neighborhood or workplace following an event when first responders (paramedics, fire, and police) are not immediately available to help. In an emergency, CERT teaches you to take care of your personal safety first, then your family, and then those around you. It is important to know what to do to protect ourselves and our family members before, during, and after an emergency event. Once the basic CERT training has been completed CERT members are also encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking an active role in emergency preparedness projects, bi-monthly Team pot-luck dinners and other events like the Westminster Tet Parade. These events help to build Team comradery, keep members upto-date, and refine the skills taught in the basic training. To discover more about West Orange County Regional CERT visit www.westcountycert.com or call (714) 548-3211.

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RADIO AMATEUR CIVIL EMERGENCY SERVICES

RACES are Public-safety volunteers which are licensed Amateur Radio Operators that are trained to assist local government during time of emergency and disaster or for routine events and activities. They are trained and certified to provide public-safety communications support. Westminster RACES are looking for licensed Ham Radio Operators to perform vital volunteer communications during Westminster Community Events and Disaster or Emergency Incidents. If you are interested in becoming a member of the City of Westminster RACES, please contact RACES Chief Radio Officer Adam Valek, N6HVC @ (714) 305-9026 or via email at adam.n6hvc@gmail.com, for further information.

MIDWAY CITY SANITARY DISTRICT ORGANICS RECYCLING

A generation ago, Californians embraced a recycling ethic based on the desire to reduce litter, conserve natural resources, and cut our reliance on landfills. Today, a focus on recycling organic materials is central to California’s efforts to combat climate change. When landfilled, organic waste—materials such as leaves, grass, agricultural crop residues, and food scraps—generates methane, which has a heat-trapping effect about 80 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timeline. Reducing methane emissions within 20 years is necessary to avert the worst impacts of climate change. The good news is that organics are readily recyclable into soil amendments like compost, mulch, and liquid fertilizers, as well as biofuel, a renewable natural gas. This is already happening across California, but because organics is such a large portion of our waste stream (about a third), we need to do more. Food waste alone accounts for about 18 percent of landfill disposal, and we can reduce that percentage by reducing food waste and increasing edible food rescue. In Westminster and Midway City an estimated 55.5 tons of food was donated in 2021. California law (SB 1383, Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) targets a 50 percent reduction in the landfilling of organic waste in 2022. By 2025, that reduction target is 75 percent. While some communities already have curbside organics collection services—including food waste collection—additional communities will need to implement organics collection programs to meet these goals. In 2018, the Midway City Sanitary District rolled out its residential Organic recycling carts and thanks to the residents in Westminster and Midway City the Midway City Sanitary District has already met this mandate.