EPPC
The Emergency Preparedness Planning of Canterwood (EPPC) committee provides advice and counsel to the Board on matters related to enhancing the safety of the Canterwood residents through emergency planning. See our EPPC charter here.
The committee is committed to educating our community on the need for personal and family preparations for an unforeseen disaster through Map Your Neighborhood, a block organizing program, the development and training behind a strong Ham Radio presence, and the sharing of available resources.
To view the EPPC Identity page click here.
Committee Members
- Paul Gift - Chair
- Win Hanson
- Patricia Pascoe
- Brian Thesing - Board Liaison
News and Events
Your EPPC team continues to hold exercises to in response to a disaster. Click here to see a video of such an exercise held earlier.
We are always looking for volunteers to be block coordinators. If you live in an area in Canterwood which has not gone through the Map Your Neighborhood process, or you are unsure, please contact EPPC for more information. Please see the map under the Map Your Neighborhood section to see if your area/block has been organized.
A future Ham class is being planned. If you are interested in taking the class and becoming a licensed Amateur Radio Operator, then contact EPPC. You can obtain a low-cost hand-held 2-way radio for emergency communications and join our existing Canterwood emergency communications team of over 40 residents.
CERT
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is a FEMA, and Washington Dept of Emergency Mgmt program, and teaches First Aid response, Light Search & Rescue, Fire Fighting, Active Shooter and other Disaster response skills. The program is being conducted and taught by Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One personnel, and is a very worthwhile program. The Basic CERT class consists of 24 hours of classroom instruction, hands on training, and capping with a very realistic disaster exercise.
Your Canterwood EPPC Team has participated in three CERT Basic Training programs since 2022, to launch the Gig Harbor CERT team. Canterwood now has 15 residents trained in CERT. To learn more about the CERT program, please click on this link - https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessCommunity/s/welcome-to-cert?language=en_US
If you have question or are interested in attending CERT training, please contact Abe Edmonson of Gig Harbor Fire Department at aedmonson@gigharborfire.org
Map Your Neighborhood
The Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program teaches neighbors about the 9 steps to take immediately after a disaster strikes in order to keep your family safe. It also leads to an inventory of the skills and emergency equipment which might be available within your block, and identifies and assist those who might need extra help in a disaster. We have divided Canterwood and the 754 homes into 41 MYN blocks. As of the fall of 2022 we have organized 15 MYN blocks with two more block meeting date set. If your block has not been organized, and you would like to see this happen in your block, please contact the EPPC Chair for more information.
The Map Your Neighborhood program is explained with a series of short videos – available on the Canterwood EPPC YouTube Channel:
Community Map identifying 41 blocks.
Ham Radio Program
Ham Radio Communications & Training Program:
Canterwood now has 40+ Ham Radio operators within our borders. The EPPC Committee has conducted 6 ham classes and another is planned for 2023. We have a Canterwood Ham Radio repeater operating on 444.900 MHz with the FCC issued callsign of WW7CW. The repeater has a range of at least 5 miles and allows residents to communicate in all areas of Canterwood with inexpensive 5-watt handheld transceivers. We conduct a weekly communications training net (session) each Monday evening at 6:30 PM on the Canterwood Repeater. We also have a team of hams who can communicate with the Peninsula Fire District 5 HQ and Pierce County EOC, in the event of a disaster, “when all else fails.” If you would like to learn more about Ham Radio and how to get involved, please contact the EPPC.
Annual Report
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