Ok, almost a week later, but here goes...

There were about 60 citizens in attendance, mostly middle-age homeowners with genuine concerns. There was a significant number of seniors, which I found heartening.

The instructors were PD & FD mostly and covered some VERY basic concepts. Very little applied to large-scale emergencies. Mostly it was focused on how homeowners could protect themselves against accidental fire, fraud, food poisoning, etc. Not without value, but nothing of value to one of us.

To be honest, each location had different instructors and lesson plans. While federally funded by a grant with some cirriculum from FEMA, this was almost entirely a local show. In no way am I criticizing the program. In fact, I feel that it provided a necessary service to citizens. I am only stating that to those with some background in preparedness, it was of limited value.

Of greater significance was my exposure to CERT. This replacement for CD is new to me. Truthfully, I am very interested in volunteering.

The kit came in a red backpack and included: a Ray-O-Vac flashlight with batteries, a transistor radio with batteries, a roll of 1 mil plastic sheeting, two pair of gloves, two ponchos, small roll of duct tape, three chem lights, two space blankets, a collapsible water jug, and a paper face mask.

There is supposed to be another in the Spring. Overall, the media reported it as a success.