Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/496111
15 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | May 2015 | 4HERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS TO OUR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY PREPARATION EFFORTS HERE AT &OUR 3EASONS 4HEY ARE .EIGHBORHOOD 7ATCH AND OUR 3TREET #APTAIN#%24 PROGRAM .EIGHBORHOOD 7ATCH IS NOT SPONSORED BY THE (OME /WNERS !SSOCIATION BUT IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATION MADE UP OF INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS 4HE 3TREET #APTAINS PROGRAM IS PART OF OUR %MERGENCY 0REPAREDNESS 0ROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE (/! 4HIS MONTH ) WANT TO CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCES AND OVERLAP OF THESE TWO ORGANIZATIONS HERE AT &OUR 3EASONS IN ORDER TO HELP RECRUITMENT FOR BOTH OF THEM 4HEY ARE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT YET SHARE A COMMON GOAL TO PROMOTE SAFETY FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHEN EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS OCCUR 4HE CLEAREST ANALOGY IS TO COMPARE THEM TO TWO OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES NAMELY THE POLICE AND lRElGHTERS 4HE POLICE ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC SECURITY AND SAFETY &IRElGHTERS AND %-4S ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES AND SAFETY 4HEIR COMMON ELEMENT IS SAFETY AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS AND SUPPORTING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY 7HEN A MAJOR EVENT OCCURS EG TRAFlC ACCIDENT OR lRE BOTH POLICE AND lRE RESPOND IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GREATEST LEVEL OF SECURITY AND SAFETY AS WELL AS MITIGATE DAMAGE TO PERSONS AND PROPERTY /UR .EIGHBORHOOD 7ATCH IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING THE (EMET 0OLICE $EPARTMENT IN EFFORTS TO REDUCE CRIME AND INCREASE PERSONAL SAFETY AND PROMOTE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY BY A FEELING OF SAFETY AND CONCERN )N FACT .EIGHBORHOOD 7ATCH IS TYPICALLY SUPPORTED BY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL hEYES ON THE STREETv AND COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES %VERYONE SHOULD BE ACTIVE IN THIS PROGRAM THOUGH SOME MAY BE MORE ACTIVE THAN OTHERS IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP 4HERE IS NO OFlCIAL TRAINING OR AFlLIATION FOR THIS ACTIVITY BUT OUR 3TREET #APTAIN PROGRAM DOES OFFER DIRECTION AND INFORMATION FOR THIS /UR 3TREET #APTAIN#%24 #OMMUNITY %MERGENCY 2ESPONSE 4EAM 0ROGRAM IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING &IRE $EPARTMENTS RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY EMERGENCIES SUCH AS MAJOR lRES SEVERE WEATHER PHENOMENON EARTHQUAKES CHEMICAL SPILLSFUMES AND AIRCRAFT CRASHES 4HIS MIGHT INVOLVE INFORMATION GATHERING RESPONDING TO lRST AID ASSISTANCE lRE SUPPRESSION 3EARCH AND 2ESCUE AND EVACUATION EFFORTS 4HIS ASSISTANCE MIGHT BE ALL THAT IS AVAILABLE UNTIL CIVIL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AND MAY INVOLVE HOURS OR EVEN DAYS /UR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOUR INVOLVEMENT 4HIS WOULD REQUIRE ONLY AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE EFFORT ON YOUR PART AS YOU ARE WILLING TO INVEST 4HERE ARE NO MINIMUMS OF TIME EXPERIENCE OR TRAINING INVOLVED !ND RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS A h3ENIOR #OMMUNITYv THERE ARE NO REAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS JUST A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHAT YOU CAN DO 7HILE OUR CERTIlED #%24 MEMBERS HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST HOURS OF TRAINING OUR 3TREET #APTAINS THAT ATTEND OUR MONTHLY 3TREET #APTAINS -EETING RECEIVE INFORMATION AND TRAINING RELATED TO #%24 TRAINING PROVIDED BY "RUCE #OWIE 3HARON 3CHNEIDER AND ,ARRY AND 3HARYN (AWKINS Emergency Preparedness Committee !S SPRINGTIME CALLS PEOPLE AND SNAKES ALIKE TO THE OUTDOORS ENCOUNTERS WITH SNAKES BECOME INEVITABLE #ALIFORNIA HAS A VARIETY OF SNAKES MOST OF WHICH ARE BENIGN 4HE EXCEPTION IS #ALIFORNIAS ONLY NATIVE VENOMOUS SNAKE THE RATTLESNAKE &OR MORE INFORMATION GO TO HTTPSWWWWILDLIFECAGOV.EWS3NAKE DOS AND DON'TS IN SNAKE COUNTRY s &IRST KNOW THAT RATTLESNAKES ARE NOT CONlNED TO RURAL AREAS 4HEY HAVE BEEN FOUND NEAR URBAN AREAS IN RIVER OR LAKESIDE PARKS AND AT GOLF COURSES "E AWARE How to keep safe around

